The 160-seat restaurant is scheduled to open this fall at the corner of Fourth Street and 83rd Avenue N, in the former spot of the Haymarket Pub and the Hideaway.
Noble Crust will combine traditional Italian cooking with Southern ingredients, such as smoky braised short ribs with heirloom tomato and ricotta salata, and wood-fired pizza with country ham and arugula.
Noble Crust partners TJ Thielbar and John Mays, who were joint venture partners and operations managers for Bonefish Grill, will handle restaurant operations. Both helped open the first Bonefish Grill in St. Petersburg and were executives at Hops Grill & Brewery in the early 1990s.
A third partner, Jeff Strouse, will help oversee Noble Crust's business and legal operations. Rob Reinsmith, a Pinellas County native, will serve as executive chef.