St. Pete is getting a new wine bar from the owners of Neighborhood Wine Shop.
Bryce Kennedy and Sydney Knowlton announced Nightwatch Wine Bar today, a neighborhood wine bar planned for 2817 Central Ave. The space is on the same block as Neighborhood Wine Shop, next to Cheeky’s Fish and Raw Bar, which opened last May.
The announcement comes just days after Neighborhood Wine Shop celebrated its first anniversary on Friday, May 22.
The new concept gives Kennedy and Knowlton a separate space for the bar side of the business. Both previously worked at CellarMasters and were sad to see it close, but they knew they wanted a split concept of their own, with Neighborhood Wine Shop continuing as the retail shop and Nightwatch giving them more room to build a dedicated by-the-glass program.
Knowlton told St. Pete Wine Scene that the earliest Nightwatch would open is by the end of the year.
In an Instagram post, Kennedy described Nightwatch as a bar focused mostly on wine, with cold beer, a few low-ABV and no-ABV cocktails, small bites, late hours and an outdoor patio. The post also pointed to a casual neighborhood setup, with room for guests to have a drink, grab something small to eat, talk with friends or keep to themselves.
The timing could also create a natural handoff for local wine drinkers. Smallbar is expected to close as its team prepares to open Spitz Wine Bar, and Nightwatch gives St. Pete another wine-focused concept to watch as the scene continues to shift.
More details are still to come.