Mozzarella Mike is opening Mozza Paninoteca on MLK this summer
St. Pete native 'Mozzarella Mike' Deininger is turning his sold-out pop-ups into a permanent paninoteca on MLK Street in Crescent Heights this summer.
On the map
The exact spot — handy for figuring out which neighborhood you're really in.
A St. Pete original is finally getting his own address
I've watched the local food scene buzz about "Mozzarella Mike" for over a year now — pop-ups that sell out in minutes, catering events that get people talking, and a product (fresh-stretched mozzarella) that you don't normally associate with a one-man operation out of St. Pete. This summer, that momentum turns into a real storefront.
A new Italian paninoteca is preparing to open on MLK in the Crescent Heights neighborhood. Mozza will debut this summer, offering artisan sandwiches, fresh-stretched mozzarella, wine, and imported Italian goods in the former Little Llamas Boutique space at 2319 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North.
The 630-square-foot café takes over the old Little Llamas Boutique space, with sandwiches, fresh-stretched mozzarella, wine, and imported Italian goods filling the menu.
That's a small footprint — but sometimes the most focused spots make the biggest impressions.
Who is Mozzarella Mike?
The concept comes from local cheesemaker Michael Deininger, better known as "Mozzarella Mike" — a St. Pete native who began hosting pop-ups and catering events last April centered around his freshly made mozzarella.
This isn't a restaurateur who parachuted in with investor money and a concept deck. Deininger built his following the old-fashioned way: showing up at local events, letting the product speak for itself, and growing a real community around what he makes by hand.
Since launching, Mozzarella Mike has collaborated with a handful of local businesses including 86 Wine Bar, Golden Isles Brewing, Stew's House of Bagels, Cipolla Rossa Pizzeria, and Cellarmasters.
That's a who's-who of St. Pete's independent food scene — which tells you something about how the community has rallied around him.
Pop-up events have sold out in minutes.
The demand for a permanent home was obvious. Now it's happening.
What's the vibe at Mozza?
The upcoming Mozza Paninoteca is designed around a simple but crave-worthy idea: fresh-stretched mozzarella, quality sandwiches, and a small selection of Italian staples. Instead of a large, complicated menu, the focus appears to be on handmade flavors, approachable lunch options, and a warm local feel.
Think less Olive Garden, more corner deli you'd stumble into in a Roman neighborhood — the kind of place where the cheese was made that morning and the bread matters. A paninoteca, by the way, is essentially an Italian sandwich bar, and the concept is criminally underrepresented in Tampa Bay.
In Deininger's own words:
"The feedback on the sandwiches has been incredible for a while now, so we wanted to expand all that and do something special."
Why this matters for the MLK corridor
MLK Street North has been quietly becoming one of St. Pete's most interesting dining strips, and Mozza is the latest proof point.
The new business joins a growing collection of restaurants and bars on MLK, including 86 Wine Bar, The Violet Stone Pizzeria, Calida Kitchen & Wine, Pineapple Espresso, Blush Tea & Coffee, and Golden Isles Brewing.
That's a legitimate restaurant row taking shape — not overnight, but through the kind of organic, owner-operated growth that tends to stick around. The energy on MLK right now is very similar to what Central Avenue looked like a decade ago before the full wave of development arrived.
No firm opening date has been announced as of this writing, so follow Mozza on Instagram for updates. But given how quickly the pop-ups have sold out, I'd expect a lot of people lining up on opening day.
The real estate angle (you knew it was coming)
I work with a lot of buyers who ask me, "Which St. Pete neighborhood is actually emerging right now — not already priced like it's arrived?" Crescent Heights keeps coming up, and the MLK corridor is a big reason why. When owner-operated spots like Mozza choose a block, it's usually because the rent is still reasonable and the neighborhood has the bones to support something special. Buyers who want walkable access to an up-and-coming dining scene without paying Snell Isle prices should be paying attention to what's happening on this street.
If you want to know what homes in that 33704 zip code are actually selling for right now, I've got a breakdown at what's my home worth in the 33704 zip code (Old Northeast / Crescent Heights). And if you're curious how the broader St. Pete picture is shaping up this summer, the June 2026 Tampa Bay housing market update has the latest numbers.
Mozza is exactly the kind of place that makes a neighborhood. Watch the MLK corridor closely — the sandwich shop is just one more reason to.