Community-centered Café Ora to open this fall at Looking Glass Initiative in south St. Pete
/Cafe Ora, a community-focused cafe and “third space'“, will open this fall in south St. Pete | St Pete Rising
A community-centered café will open this fall in South St. Pete as one of the first businesses inside the Looking Glass Initiative, a two-block adaptive reuse project along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South.
Located at 908 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South, Café Ora will serve espresso drinks made with locally roasted beans from St. Pete-based Look Alive Coffee, breakfast sandwiches and pastries by day, and beer, wine, and neighborhood programming later in the week.
The café is designed to serve as a gathering place for residents, nonprofits, and local organizations.
“It’s a love letter to Campbell Park, Bartlett Park, 13th Street Heights, and Historic Roser Park,” Café Ora founder Meiko Seymour said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “To everybody right here in this vicinity, we intend to be your neighborhood spot. This project has to be owned by the community, by those that live in these neighborhoods.”
Café Ora is envisioned as a "third space", a place outside of home and work where neighbors can gather and connect.
Café Ora owner Meiko Seymour, pictured with his wife, Simone Seymour, and their daughter | Café Ora
While permitting and construction delays have pushed the timeline back slightly, the café remains on track to open this fall.
The name is a play on "aura" while also referencing the prefix "ora," which Seymour said reflects communication, connection, and bringing people together.
Seymour is the founder of Uncommon City Church and serves as a commissioner with the St. Petersburg Housing Authority. He has also held several civic leadership roles throughout the city.
In addition to serving coffee, the space will host meetings for Uncommon City, neighborhood associations, local nonprofits, and city-led educational classes on topics such as financial literacy.
Café Ora’s menu will feature classic espresso drinks, matcha lattes, teas, organic sodas, mushroom coffees, breakfast sandwiches, baked goods, and light afternoon fare.
Operator and general manager Allison Nash is also developing a lineup of signature coffee drinks inspired by the surrounding neighborhoods.
Beginning Thursday afternoons, Café Ora will transition into an evening gathering space with beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and neighborhood programming that could include jazz performances, comedy, and spoken word.
The building is undergoing a complete renovation ahead of Café Ora's opening this fall | Café Ora
Café Ora is one of the first tenants planned for the Looking Glass Initiative, led by developer John Barkett and his wife, Julie.
The adaptive reuse project is transforming the 900 and 1000 blocks of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South into a collection of locally owned businesses, health- and wellness-focused spaces, and neighborhood amenities.
Future tenants include bookstore Pages and Perks, kids coding school Code Wiz, and a teaching garden.
The roughly 1,600-square-foot café occupies a restored century-old building featuring its original brick, exposed beams, and a brutalist-inspired interior accented with abundant greenery.
“The south end of St. Pete deserves something that's just for them, and because of that approach, I don't know if it'll be everything to everybody,” Seymour said.
A mural on the side of the building that will become home to the Looking Glass Initiative | St. Pete Rising
One of Café Ora's long-term goals is ensuring everyone feels welcome, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Seymour plans to introduce a pay-it-forward program allowing customers to contribute toward drinks or meals for neighbors who cannot afford them.
He's also developing a program that would provide free breakfast sandwiches to students walking to nearby schools, noting that roughly one in six children in Pinellas County experience food insecurity, according to the Juvenile Welfare Board.
“We don't want any of our neighbors, housed and unhoused, to feel like we're coming in and pushing them out,” Seymour said.
Follow Café Ora on Instagram for the latest updates on its opening, and visit the Looking Glass Initiative website to learn more about the redevelopment of two blocks along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South.
