We are St Pete
This weekend was a test for most of us. Are we ready for a category five hurricane? Do we have enough supplies to last if we lose power for weeks? Are we prepared to lose everything if we evacuate? One thing is clear: St Pete’s spirit will not be destroyed. Not by Irma, not by anything. This is what we’ve noticed in the aftermath.
Some of us stayed home and hunkered down while some of us went and stayed with family or out of the path of Irma. Coming home on Monday there was a feeling of gratitude throughout the city. Our Facebook feed was flooded with offers of free hot meals for those without power, people offering their homes up to strangers to shower/escape the heat, and tons of businesses opening up as soon as possible to give our residents some respite.
When Rafael Perrier of Kahwa South opened up and was giving away free coffee to residents on Monday, The Galley’s Pete Boland was inspired. “I also wanted to do something like what Raf did, so we put our complimentary coffee (his brand, Kahwa) and a free Bloody Mary and mimosa bar.. To us, being open on Monday wasn’t about the money. It was about serving our friends, our community that we love so much.”
And the love was certainly felt. Pete went on to say that when he called last call for food at 6pm there was a standing ovation from the large crowd inside the pub on Saturday evening. “No joke – one of the highlights of my career. Quite emotional.” What’s most impressive is they did all this on a skeleton crew due to evacuations. With sous chef Dave Kohl, volunteer efforts from co-found Ian Taylor and friend Chris Talley, and book keeper Eric Wix, while Pete and his girlfriend Stephanie Smith worked magic to serve the massive swarm of people looking to ease the stress of Irma. “It was a non stop madhouse until midnight .. with the menu sold out, we put together whatever else we could cook off in baskets and passed them out for free to people who wanted hot food.”
And this is just one of many businesses who wanted to take care of their community they best way they know how: food, a safe place, and friendly faces. We are incredibly proud to serve St Pete and the Tampa Bay area and supporting local businesses like The Galley. You can follow The Galley on Facebook and Instagram, or just show up for food at 27 4th Street N in St Pete and make sure you tell them The Price Group sent you.