Popular eateries on Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg are dealing with unexpected costs and frustrations after recent acts of vandalism.

At Poppo’s Taquería, General Manager Kyle Frantz described how their outdoor seating area was damaged early on November 10. Surveillance footage showed a man casually flipping a table and crushing the umbrella atop it.

“He just saw it, stopped, flipped it over, and then casually walked away,” Frantz told Fox 13 News. “That tells me he’s just looking to destroy something for fun.”

When staff arrived, they discovered the broken umbrella and damaged table. Frantz noted that the incident added unnecessary costs and stress to their recovery efforts after recent storms.

“As a small business, every dollar counts,” Frantz said. “It’s just one more thing to deal with when you’re already trying to get back on track.”

Similar Incidents Nearby

Just a few doors down, the co-owner of COPA, Maxim Thuriere, said their restaurant also fell victim to vandalism on the same night. Surveillance video at COPA captured someone flipping chairs and tables outside their establishment. The individual appeared to be the same person seen in Poppo’s footage.

“Surviving the storms was already a blessing, and navigating the challenges of being closed for almost two weeks was hard enough,” Thuriere said. “To deal with vandalism on top of that is not something we anticipated or are used to in St. Pete.”

This wasn’t COPA’s first experience with such issues. Thuriere said that in October, another incident caught on camera involved a group knocking over outdoor furniture. The two events have cost the business approximately $1,000 in damages.

Calls for Action

Both business owners are seeking solutions to prevent further vandalism.

“I’d like to prevent this from happening again in the future and help stop it from happening to other businesses,” Thuriere said. “Whether that means more patrol cars at night or better practices for securing outdoor furniture, we just want to make sure others don’t go through this.”

Frantz echoed these sentiments, suggesting that the community work together to address the issue collectively.

“It would be ideal if the neighborhood came together and figured out a way to handle this, not just for those already affected but to protect others in the future,” Frantz said.

Frantz has begun discussions with the Edge District leadership about partnering with the St. Petersburg Police Department to address the issue. Meanwhile, Thuriere planned to file a police report on November 19.

Both restaurant owners hope these steps will deter further vandalism and provide some relief to the small business community in downtown St. Pete.

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(Image credit: video footage of vandal outside Copa Restaurant in St. Pete)