A Dedication To Service
Mike Harting first moved to St. Petersburg in 1983 and grew up in Shore Acres when his father was assigned to MacDill Airforce Base. His father, who served two tours in Vietnam and received both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star during his career in the United States Army, set an early example for Mike of the importance of service, sacrifice, and love of country.
After graduating from the University of Florida, Mike returned to St. Petersburg, where he began his 30-year career in hospitality. Mike rose to the position of JVP at Outback, overseeing 1,400 employees, 15 restaurants, and significant growth. Mike then left to take over Bella Brava, where his five years as owner/operator saw a growth of over 400% in sales. Mike later founded 3 Daughters Brewing, where he currently serves as CEO.
As for many, COVID-19 brought massive changes both to Mike’s business and his life. Overnight, forced shutdowns put 3 Daughters and the livelihood of his employees in jeopardy. Mike and his wife opted to take no salary to make sure their employees’ pay continued uninterrupted. Soon after, Mike converted the brewery lab to produce hand sanitizer. Over the course of the pandemic, 3 Daughters Brewing donated over 4,000 gallons of sanitizer to hospitals, first responders, and local citizens.
Mike’s drive to serve his community has led him to run for St. Petersburg City Council. Having grown up and raised a family here, Mike knows what makes our city special, from our beautiful waterfront parks to our vibrant business community. Mike will fight to ensure St. Pete continues to grow and remains full of opportunity for his children – the way it was for him.
On the City Council, Mike will fight against overreach that threatens to harm the community he loves. He will make sure police and first responders always have the resources they need to keep our community safe. He will work to update our city’s aging water infrastructure to ensure our water and waterways remain clean and safe, and he will prioritize creating cost-efficient workforce housing so our families can afford to live where they work.
Mike is no stranger to community service. Personally and through his businesses, Mike works with over 150 charities, including the Navy SEAL Foundation and Men in the Making. He served on the St. Pete Free Clinic board from 2019 to 2020 and as President of the Florida Brewer’s Guild from 2019 to 2022. Mike also works as an adjunct professor at USF. Mike and his wife, Leigh, are the parents of three daughters, Meadow, Livvi and Madi.