Pirates buy Bradenton eatery for expansion

BRADENTON — In an effort to add more spring training parking spots, the Pittsburgh Pirates purchased Popi's Place I, a restaurant across the street from McKechnie Field, where the team trains in March.

Terms of the purchase, for the property at the corner of 17th Avenue and Ninth Street West, just north of downtown Bradenton, weren't released or available yet in Manatee County property records. The team plans to demolish the restaurant after spring training and then turn the lot into parking for future seasons, at least in the near-term, according to a release. The lot is about one-third of an acre.

“The restaurant's owners let us know they were ready to retire from the business and sell the property,” Pirates Senior Director of Florida Operations Trevor Gooby says in a release. “This parcel is included in the city's and the Pirates' strategy for redeveloping the area around McKechnie Field as an arts and entertainment district. The Pirates are making this investment with that in mind.”

The Pirates and the Popi's Place chain both have long histories in Bradenton. The team has held spring training in town every year since 1969. And McKechnie Field underwent a $10 million renovation following the 2012 season, a project supported by funds from the team, the city of Bradenton and Manatee County. The renovations included new seats, an expanded fan plaza and new concessions facilities. The Bradenton Marauders, a minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates that plays at McKechnie Field, set franchise records for overall attendance last year, with 109,845 people for 62 games.

Greek immigrants Emmanuel and Kalliopi Ameres opened Popi's Place I in 1986. They have since expanded, and there is now seven Popi's Place locations spread through Manatee and Hillsborough counties. The Ameres' sold the original location, the one the Pirates bought, to a family friend in 2012. The couple's four children now help run the business.