Craft Kafe targets October opening for Skyway Marina District cafe and production kitchen
/Craft kafe’s new, long-awaited location at 4725 34th Street South has taken several years to open | st. pete rising
After years of planning, Craft Kafe is targeting an early October opening for a new cafe and commissary kitchen in St. Pete’s Skyway Marina District.
The homegrown eatery and bakery, known for specialty coffee and a scratch-made gluten-free menu, is putting the finishing touches on its third St. Pete cafe at 4725 34th Street South in the Marina Village shopping plaza, just south of the Marina Walk Apartments.
The 4,700-square-foot space will include a 1,000-square-foot cafe and a large production kitchen designed to supply Craft’s existing stores and support future expansion, according to the owners.
“We’ve planned this one month after opening our first store in St. Pete. Because of the pandemic, issues in logistics, and losing my home from the hurricanes, this has taken so long to open,” founder and owner Teddy Skiadiotis told St. Pete Rising during a private tour.
craft kafe is known for its espresso-based drinks, gluten-free pastries, breakfast items, and more | craft kafe
Skiadiotis signed a lease for the space in 2019. He said his team has invested approximately $1.5 million in equipment, including freezers, coolers, a stone milling machine, and machinery for pastry production and packaging.
“A person can make 20 pastries an hour. With the machines, we can roll out 800 to 1,000. This will greatly cut down labor and give us consistency in products,” said Craft Kafe co-owner Edward “Eddie” Briones.
By centralizing production and storage, the owners hope to create a model that allows independent operators to open smaller Craft locations without needing large kitchens of their own.
“This is the beginning of our next growth phase. Our recipes and quality of products will not change,” Skiadiotis said.
Craft Kafe debuted in west St. Pete in 2014 at 6653 Central Avenue and added a downtown cafe at 200 Central Avenue in 2018. A Tampa location opened in 2022 and closed in 2025.
Its newest location will boast a 1,000-square-foot cafe, plus a large back of house area for high-volume production | st. pete rising
The new production kitchen will give the business room to expand its offerings while continuing to make products in-house.
“We mill our own flour and try to do everything in-house as much as we possibly can,” Skiadiotis said.
He said Craft sources coffee beans, produce, and other goods from local vendors and may explore growing its own microgreens.
The larger kitchen will also allow Craft to make its own sausage for quiches and sandwiches, test new menu items, expand catering, and pursue partnerships with local restaurants. The owners said they may rent the production facility to local businesses by the hour when it is not in use.
The cafe is expected to seat approximately 50 people, with booths, a 10-person communal table, and covered outdoor seating. It will also feature a standing espresso bar.
Customers can expect the same menu offered at Craft’s existing St. Pete cafes, including The Craft sandwich, made with eggs, chicken sausage, avocado cream, and pepper jack. Ed’s Vegan Burger features a quinoa, mushroom, and black bean blend with spinach, tomato jam, and red onion.
craft kafe’s third location in the skyway marina district is slated to open in october | st. pete rising
Other options include toasts, omelets, and salads, such as the Chicken Avocado Cream salad with greens, roasted chicken, avocado cream, tomato, cucumber, onion, crostini, and balsamic vinaigrette.
A long glass display will showcase gluten-free cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies, quiches, and pizzas. The owners also plan to offer wedding cakes at the new location.
Specialty drinks include the Hot Mom, a caramel latte with almond milk; Lavender Lady, made with loose-leaf Earl Grey tea, vanilla, lavender syrup, and oat milk; and Golden Girl, a Saku Tea golden chai blend with house-made almond milk and honey.
Planned hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Follow Craft Kafe on Facebook and Instagram for opening updates and the latest offerings.
