Episode 106: Is St. Pete’s Growth Changing What Made the City Special? | Dustin LaChance
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St. Pete is growing fast. More people are moving here, downtown continues to change, and new development is reshaping the city.
But with that growth comes a bigger question: Can St. Pete continue to grow without losing what made people love it in the first place?
In Episode 106 of Talkin’ St. Pete, Ryan Bogden sits down with Dustin LaChance, a St. Pete entrepreneur, Chick fil A franchisee, former pastor, father of four, and founder of The Watchman, a local men’s community built around connection and having people in your corner.
Dustin’s story has taken him from becoming a Chick fil A franchisee at just 21 to bringing 22,000 people together at Tropicana Field, going through a difficult personal chapter, and eventually creating The Watchman.
Through all of it, one thing keeps coming up: the importance of taking risks, finding purpose, and having a real community around you.
How Dustin LaChance Became a Chick fil A Franchisee at 21
Dustin was only 19 when he decided he wanted an opportunity with Chick fil A.
He didn’t have restaurant experience or the typical background you might expect. Instead of letting that stop him, he found the phone numbers for Chick fil A founder Truett Cathy and Dan Cathy and started calling.
They didn’t answer, but Dustin kept trying.
Those calls didn’t immediately get him a franchise. They did get Chick fil A’s attention and eventually opened the door to a corporate position where Dustin traveled around the country helping prepare restaurants for incoming franchise operators.
While working for the company, Dustin learned that Chick fil A was expanding into Los Angeles. It was a new market for the company, and he decided to put his name in for the opportunity.
At just 21 years old, Dustin became a Chick fil A franchisee.
That experience shaped an idea Dustin still carries with him. Don’t assume you’re too young, too inexperienced, or too far outside the expected path to ask for an opportunity.
Sometimes you have to be willing to hear “no” before you ever get to a “yes.”
From Chick fil A to 22,000 People at Tropicana Field
Business wasn’t the only direction Dustin’s life took.
When he returned to Florida in 2015, he started a church, welcomed his first child, opened another Chick fil A franchise, and began another chapter of his life in the St. Pete area.
Dustin says his move into the church world came from wanting to encourage people, share his faith, tell stories, and make an impact.
Then, in 2018, he had a huge idea.
Rent Tropicana Field and bring thousands of people together for an event.
There was one problem. He had never done anything like it before.
They moved forward anyway.
The event featured Tim Tebow and was promoted on 55 full sized billboards. Dustin says the website received one million visits during its first week.
When the event finally happened, 22,000 people showed up at Tropicana Field.
It’s one of the biggest examples in Dustin’s story of what can happen when someone is willing to take on something before knowing exactly how they’re going to pull it off.
But one of the most meaningful things Dustin eventually built came from a much more personal experience.
How The Watchman Started in St. Pete
Before The Watchman became a men’s community, it started with a watch.
Dustin gave his best friend, Tim Whipple, a watch to thank him for the time he had invested in Dustin’s life. The gift also represented the idea of “got your 6,” having someone’s back.
Dustin eventually gave watches to 34 close friends, creating a symbol of the relationships and brotherhood around him.
Then his own life changed.
After going through a divorce and stepping away from his pastoral role, Dustin found himself becoming more isolated. He remembers going to a St. Pete run club and standing against a wall by himself. He was surrounded by people, but he didn’t feel connected.
He went back, even though it was uncomfortable.
That experience made him think about something bigger.
If he could feel that alone after spending years surrounded by community, what happens to men going through difficult seasons who don’t have anyone in their corner?
Dustin began putting his energy into helping other men find their 6.
That idea grew into The Watchman, which brings men together through larger events, smaller gatherings, and Tables for 6.
For Dustin, it isn’t just about networking. It’s about creating real relationships and making sure men have people they can depend on when life gets difficult.
Is St. Pete’s Growth Changing What Made the City Special?
Dustin has watched St. Petersburg, Florida change from two very different perspectives.
When he left in 2008, downtown St. Pete was a completely different place. When he returned in 2015, the city was already going through a major transformation.
Dustin believes affordability played an important role in that growth.
Young people could move to St. Pete, live downtown, take chances, start businesses, and become part of the culture developing around them.
Now he wonders whether those same opportunities will continue to exist as the city becomes more expensive.
What happens when the entrepreneurs, workers, and local businesses that contribute to the personality of St. Pete can no longer afford to be here?
Dustin isn’t against growth. He sees plenty of opportunity in St. Pete’s future.
The bigger question is how the city grows.
He wants St. Pete to remain a fun, working city where local businesses, entrepreneurs, and people from different backgrounds can continue to be part of what makes it unique.
Ryan and Dustin also talk about the St. Pete and Pinellas County real estate market and why condos and single family homes shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as one market.
At the time of their conversation, Ryan explains that Pinellas County had less than four months of supply for single family homes compared with roughly eight months for condos, showing how differently those parts of the market were behaving.
Their conversation also touches on downtown development, housing, local businesses, Tropicana Field, and what potential changes involving the Tampa Bay Rays could mean for St. Pete.
It all comes back to one question:
Can St. Pete keep growing without losing the character that made people want to be here?
Is More Money Really the Same as More Success?
Dustin’s years as a pastor changed how he thinks about success.
He noticed that some people in his church working blue collar jobs seemed happier than people who had significantly more money.
At the same time, some of the wealthier people he knew were still dealing with stress, struggling relationships, and constantly chasing the next house, boat, or accomplishment.
It made Dustin question the idea that having more automatically makes life better.
One of his friends explained it another way.
You could be sitting on a yacht in Italy with your closest friends or sitting at Starbucks with those same people.
The setting is completely different.
The people you’re sharing it with are what really matter.
For Dustin, that comes back to purpose, meaningful work, faith, and community.
That becomes even more relevant when Ryan and Dustin turn the conversation toward artificial intelligence and the future of work.
They discuss how AI and automation could change jobs, including entry level and remote work, and what could happen as people become increasingly dependent on technology.
Technology can make life more convenient, but can it replace genuine human connection?
For Dustin, the answer comes back to the same thing that inspired The Watchman. No matter how much the world changes, having real people around you still matters.
What Dustin LaChance’s Story Says About the Future of St. Pete
Dustin LaChance’s life hasn’t followed one predictable path.
He has been a Chick fil A franchisee, pastor, entrepreneur, event organizer, and community builder. He has experienced major successes and difficult personal seasons.
Now he continues to look for new challenges, including his goal of becoming a pilot and creating experiences his children will remember.
Throughout his conversation with Ryan, Dustin keeps returning to a few simple ideas: take the risk, keep learning, don’t get too comfortable, and surround yourself with people who have your back.
Those ideas also connect to what’s happening in St. Pete.
The city is changing. Growth brings new people, businesses, development, and opportunities.
But bigger doesn’t automatically mean better.
The challenge for St. Petersburg is figuring out how to embrace what comes next while keeping the local businesses, opportunities, relationships, and community that helped make the city a place people wanted to call home.
The question isn’t whether St. Pete will change.
It’s what parts of St. Pete are worth holding onto as it does.
Do you think St. Pete can keep growing without losing what made the city special?
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