Come this March St. Pete residents won’t have to travel all the way to Asia to experience authentic street fare popular in areas like China and Singapore. The growing chain Hawkers is opening its third location in the Edge District near downtown St. Pete.
Named after street vendors in Asia who sell local cuisine made from locally available ingredients, Hawkers offers street snacks common in Vietnam, mainland China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Nothing on the menu is more than $8.50.
The latest gastro hotspot will open at 1235 Central Ave. in the space formerly occupied by Taps and Tequila. The menu boasts exotic fares enough to make anyone’s mouth water – dishes such as duck tacos, curry duck noodles and roti prata.
The restaurant is the brainchild of lifelong friends Allen Lo, Danny Ho, Wayne Yung and Kaleb Harrell. They opened their first Hawkers in Orlando in 2011. The concept was meant to be new and unique.
The partners packaged their concept into a restaurant with concrete floors and a bold color scheme.
They opened a second restaurant in early 2014 in Jacksonville.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the team sought a community for a third restaurant that would be likely to be open-minded about new food choices. Harrell told the Times that St. Pete is just that place.
“Locals are culturally affluent, social media literate and have an adventurous palate — these are the behavioral characteristics we look for. I sum it up by saying that if you can point out Malaysia on a map, then you’re probably a good guest for Hawkers,” Harrell said.
Indeed, the Hawkers crew chose a location that has emerged as a growing beacon of millennial interests. The area boasts several bustling craft breweries including the popular Green Bench as well as a host of other unique restaurants featuring Cajun, Cuban and Thai cuisine and one of the city’s hottest burrito joints, Mercado.
Other menu items serving as Hawkers’ staples include lo mein dishes, five-spice meats and tofu, noodles and rice. The restaurant, if all goes according to plan, is slated to open March 1.
