A Sarasota sushi mainstay is making its move to downtown St. Petersburg this weekend. KOJO, the upscale Asian restaurant that has built a following in Sarasota for nearly six years, is preparing to soft-open inside the Central Park food hall at 551 Central Avenue, with reservations available for service beginning Friday, November 13.
According to I Love the Burg, KOJO plans to operate Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m. once it opens. I Love the Burg describes KOJO as a top-floor restaurant, and earlier coverage from St. Pete Rising places KOJO, along with a tiki-style bar concept called Bar Hana, on the building's fourth floor.
KOJO is run by Hi Hospitality Group, with chef Hart Lowry leading what the restaurant calls a sophisticated fusion menu. Offerings are expected to include steak, seafood, small plates, sushi, noodles, sashimi, and craft cocktails, including steaks and crispy nori tacos.
KOJO's Sarasota Concept
KOJO is bringing its Sarasota restaurant concept to St. Petersburg, with its food and drink offerings joining the Central Park lineup.
Central Park's Phased Buildout Continues
KOJO's arrival is the latest step in Central Park's slow rollout since the five-story food hall opened in February 2026. During the initial opening, two of the 14 concepts were live. The food hall already serves breakfast and houses other tenants including Palm Avenue Deli, while The Winfield is planned as a basement cocktail parlor.
The building's broader plan calls for 14 total food and beverage concepts to be phased in over time, according to St. Pete Rising's earlier reporting. The 28,000-square-foot hall was set to officially open to the public on Monday, in stages, according to the Tampa Bay Times, which covered the project's launch earlier this year. With KOJO's reservations now open for this weekend, downtown St. Pete diners will soon get their own taste of a menu that has already found an audience across the bay.
