The Copper Kettle gets its name from the copper accents in its decor, as well as from a core philosophy of serving; the restaurant replaces the Frog Pond on St. Pete Beach.Photo by Ethan Perelstein
Another new spot with old bones is coming to Corey Avenue as the Copper Kettle prepares to open in the old Frog Pond restaurant.
Copper Kettle Coming Soon to St. Pete Beach
After the Frog Pond restaurant was devastated by 2024 hurricanes, former Frog Pond Manager Alex Victorero and his wife, Nikki, sprang into action.
“As soon as they would let us across the bridge, we were here to, like, get everything cleaned up,” Nikki said. “We’re the kind of people that just like to get after it.”
Then, the owners of the Frog Pond told them that they weren’t going to reopen, so Nikki and Alex bought the business.
Everything From Scratch
“We want to do our own thing. Our goal is to be very community-minded,” Nikki said. “We started with an idea that’s very traditional. I like to make everything from scratch. I want it to be an atmosphere where everybody feels comfortable and at home.”
Nikki said that she wanted the new restaurant to serve as the same home away from home for snowbirds as did Frog Pond. She also said that she wants the Kettle to be a gathering place for locals.
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“We’re not doing any online ordering or Grubhub or DoorDash or anything,” she said. “We want everyone to have to connect with a human; our whole thing is community and connection.”
Copper Kettle will still take orders over the phone.
The Copper Kettle gets its name from copper accents in the decor, but also from a core philosophy of serving.
“I don’t know if you know the health benefits of copper,” Nikki said. “But all of the water that we’ll serve is coming out of copper pitchers.”
Nikki said that the copper helps “balance the electrical impulses in the body” and is anti-microbial. “I’m a little crunchy when it comes to this. There won’t be any plastic cups anymore,” she said.
As with many construction projects in South Pinellas since the storms, the couple had unexpected delays waiting for permits. Permits in hand, the construction is well underway, with many custom appliances and original light shades from the Frog Pond.
Once construction is complete, the couple hopes to debut the Copper Kettle, complete with Nikki’s from-scratch menu, in October of this year.
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