Forty years
OF THE TAVERN, AS TOLD BY ITS OWNERS
Matthew Cimitile
It started at a dinner party. That’s how Bud and Joan Karins describe the origins of the idea that became the Tavern at Bayboro. Friends had come together to celebrate a new venture – a bookstore to be built in an old woodworking shop on the edge of the campus. With the building came an extra attached space and initial ideas for a tearoom. Memories of his own graduate school days with limited food options – and a longtime dream of owning a pub – prompted Bud to put in a bid for the space. Since that fateful evening, the Tavern at Bayboro (originally called Tavern on the Green) has become an institution at USF St. Petersburg. For 40
Joan and Bud Karins
Since 1982, the pub has had four owners. Though their styles varied, their outlook could nicely be summed up by Tom Herzhauser, who owned the Tavern from 2010–2019. “I always had the feeling that as the owner, I never really owned it. I had the keys for nine years. It is a treasure in St. Pete and especially on campus. And I always felt like I’m here for a little bit of time, and don’t screw it up.” Here is the story of the Tavern, as told by its owners.
OWNERS FROM 1983–1987
Bud: I earned an MBA at night at the University of Hartford in Connecticut and mostly just ate out of vending machines. And I thought, this (USF St. Petersburg) is a commuter campus, and it would be nice if there was a place to get a sandwich and a Coke or a beer before or after your class. The opportunity came along, and I decided to jump at it and convert the space into a place that would sell mostly beers and a few sandwiches. It didn’t turn out that way. Joan: It turned out that we sold a lot of sandwiches. Bud: Building it was an experience. I decided to take part of the ceiling out, as it was pretty cramped. It turned out to have a vaulted ceiling, so we were able to make a space that was only the size of a two-car garage a bit more interesting and open. I also wanted the bar to be a mahogany bar, so I went to the lumber yard and they had mahogany planks available. The original bar is still largely here. Joan: When we started, the parking lot just outside the Tavern was a big green lawn. So, we named it Tavern on the Green. It was really tiny, only four or maybe six tables inside plus outside seating. If we were going to be a place that sold sandwiches, we weren’t going to
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years, it has provided food, live music and a social gathering spot for faculty, staff and students outside of class and work.
make it with that small space. We got it in our head to sell sandwiches delivering all around downtown and opened up the loft upstairs and set up a sandwich making shop. Every morning we would take orders from downtown businesses and deliver them around town. Bud: Over time we would get regulars that became friends. We had professors who held classes here. Joan: It was alternative dining, which students liked a lot. It was small and somewhat intimate, so it had that Cheers vibe that made it unique.
