Surge Replacing Siren in Downtown St. Pete, Bringing 80's Music Venue

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Surge St. Pete, a new 1980s-themed music venue and bar, is taking over the former Siren space at 350 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, owners Denise Rizzica and Jeff Curtin told Business Debut.

The concept centers on live bands, themed events, and expanded operating days as the business ramps up through the end of the year.

What to Expect

Surge St. Pete will operate across two floors with an upstairs and downstairs layout and a large stage. The programming will focus on 1980s music, with local and national acts on rotation.

The team plans live band karaoke where guests sing 1980s songs backed by a full band.

The owners are in talks with acts including Thompson Twins, Wang Chung, Quiet Riot and Vanilla Ice. The venue also plans to host sports watch events for football, baseball and hockey.

Curtin said they intend to incorporate family-focused community events, including a Christmas visit with Santa where children can stop in for milk and cookies.

Menu and Vision

A full kitchen is in the build-out phase, with a December launch targeted.

“The food is to come,” Rizzica told Business Debut.

Curtin said the menu will feature bar-style items such as burgers, wings, jalapeño poppers, french fries, onion rings and tacos for Taco Tuesday.

One featured item will be a stuffed cheeseburger with cheese on the inside of the patty. Rizzica said guests can expect full table service supported by QR codes on tables for ordering.

Ownership Background

Surge St. Pete is owned by business partners Denise Rizzica and Jeff Curtin.

Curtin said Rizzica’s husband, Dale, is a chef who has owned several restaurants in Pennsylvania and New York and will be leading the kitchen.

The ownership group emphasized a focus on working with the local community and building long-term relationships with nearby residents and businesses.

Opening Timeline

Rizzica said a soft opening is planned for this Friday, November 6th, with 1980s-focused DJ programming. She said DJ Rowland will perform opening night. DJ Dave, another longtime local DJ, is slated for the following week.

For November, Surge St. Pete plans to open three days a week while the team completes inspections and kitchen work. The kitchen and expanded schedule are targeted for December, when the venue expects to begin daytime hours.

The grand opening is scheduled for December 5 with the the Spazmatics.

Hours

Through November, Surge St. Pete plans to open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from about 7 p.m. — 3 a.m.

Once the kitchen is operational, the owners plan to open seven days a week from about 11 a.m. — 3 a.m.