4 minute read
Ghost story
St. Pete’s Red Mesa is completely reinventing itself.
By Jenna Rimensnyder
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Last Thursday, Mayor Rick Kriseman said that St. Petersburg restaurants can start to prepare for May 4, the beginning of the first phase of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ reopening of Florida, which calls for dining rooms to be just 25% full (with six-feet between patrons sitting outside).
Red Mesa Group’s concepts, however, will continue as takeout and carryout operations until owners feel it is safe to resume normal business operations.
“We look forward to continuing to serve our guests delicious take out options while ensuring the safety of our employees and customers,” the restaurant group said on April 30.
Although the group—which runs Red Mesa Cantina, Restaurant Mercado and the new Quatro concept—has taken a hit during this shutdown, owners thought it was inappropriate to apply for St. Pete’s Fighting Chance Fund, an emergency grant for St. Pete’s negatively impacted locally owned and independently operated small businesses.
“With the criteria and limited funds, we felt [the Fighting Chance Fund] should be left to more deserving businesses,” Red Mesa Group COO Peter Veytia told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
He said that diverting to pickup and delivery only has definitely hurt the Red Mesa Group, which relied on a model where the restaurants were closer to 100% full. Still, the community has propped his group up.
“The city has been incredibly supportive, when we look at our orders, we can see that they’re from all aroundTampa Bay,” Veytia told CL. “That’s what will get us through this—local support.”
This new change of pace reminds Veytia of when Cantina first opened its doors in the middle of the recession in 2009.
“Back then, I would sit out on the patio with my executive chef and wait for customers to come in. The streets of downtown St. Pete were quiet back then,” he added. Now he finds himself sitting in Cantina’s empty dining room with both Pullaro and chef Fernandez strategizing in order to keep the Red Mesa Restaurant Group evolving to conquer the new normal caused by this pandemic.
Over the last six weeks or so, local restaurants like Veytia’s have adapted to not only meet customer needs but to also to try and cover the cost of bills. That means curbside pickup, delivery, and for a select few, ghost kitchens. If you’re unfamiliar, a ghost kitchen concept is essentially a restaurant that solely offers pickup or delivery service—which seems ideal in a time of social distancing.
Earlier this week, Red Mesa decided to launch a ghost kitchen called “Quatro.” The latest addition to the family set up shop inside of the former event space on the second floor of Red Mesa Cantina, located at 128 3rd St. S. in downtown.
Red Mesa Group marketing director Tony Pullaro explained why one of the ‘Burg’s OG restaurant groups decided to launch a new concept in the middle of a pandemic.
“This is a great time to create something new and exciting for our guests,” Pullaro said without hesitation. “In a time where we are kind of just waiting, you won’t have to wait for something fun when it comes to our food," he said. "It’s here. We want to bring smiles and full stomachs.”
And while the end could be near for pandemic regulations, it looks like this is just the beginning for Quatro.
“This isn’t a ghost kitchen to us. It’s a test kitchen for something more,” Pullaro added. “Red Mesa has always wanted to dish out something a little different. Our COO Peter Veytia III and Executive Chef Chris Fernandez had this brainchild—a concept that hit on some of their favorite worldly flavors. Best way to describe it: Quatro is an experience from Cuban sandwiches to Pad Thai.”
Wanting to be accessible in both options and budget, Quatro’s sections range from $2-$6.50 for starters, $5-$12 for bowls, and $6-$13 for handheld eats likesandos, burgers and wraps. While the menu offers four different takes on a Cuban sandwich, Quatro also is serving “One Bad Dog,” which consists of a bacon-wrapped hot dog with chipotle mayo, chipotle ketchup, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeño and pickled red onion.
Locals can get a taste through ordering by pickup or delivery from redmesatogo.com. Rather use an app? Both Uber Eats and ChowNow users can access the Quatro menu through Red Mesa Cantina’s options.
But what happens when the regulations for dine-in are lifted and concepts begin to integrate into “regular” service?
Pullaro reassures locals that in these unpredictable times, there’s one thing you can count on.
“We are learning those steps, but rest assured, we are all over it. We are always forward thinking. We are here. We are adapting,” he said. “You can have your Red Mesa, and eat it too.”
As for what the next few months and years may look like for theTampa Bay food scene, Veytia weighs in with a realistic outlook, and said that in the coming days and weeks, the industry will take cues from other states that’ve gone head first into new regulations.
“It’s really just reactionary. And with that, we have to focus on what we do within these four walls,” he said.
