business Business Beat: European Treats, Space for Art & Tour Tripping Olivier Rodriguez of Italy and Grégory Pugin of the south of France, partners in the ownership of Cocoa Addiction in St. Pete Beach, are both renowned in the culinary world. Rodriguez worked as a pastry chef throughout America, and Pugin is a five-star chef in Europe as well as the United States. They’re not new to the kitchen, but they are new to St. Petersburg. Cocoa Addiction, at 344 Corey Ave., officially opened its doors on Saturday, April 17. The two chefs sold their creations wholesale in Miami for years, but the store on St. Pete Beach is the duo’s first brickand-mortar location. “Me and my partner are not like most people who do this who started in the banking industry, or other businesses, and transferred over to this because they love it,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve been doing this professionally for years.” Among other things, the shop sells artistically crafted bonbons, hazelnut spreads, buttery European pastries and fresh coffee. “In Miami, the European pastry market is oversaturated; here there is space for everyone,” Rodriguez said.
JUDY VIENNEAU
By Abby Baker
ArtWorks, a cooperative gallery in the Grand Central District, made its (hopefully) final move in early April.
Follow them at instagram.com/ cocoaddiction_confections. ArtWorks Makes a Move St. Pete ArtWorks Gallery officially moved from 2412 Central Ave. to a larger location at 2604 Central Ave. in April. It’s not a huge distance, but the new location is much larger and
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features five working artist studios, an outdoor space as well as a classroom. The move is still a work in progress, but the gallery is open to the public. “Our space at 2412 was really too small, but it was great,” said ArtWorks Director Judy Vienneau. “It was the only thing we could find at the time, but now we’ve found this
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