A mural created by local artist Matt Kress at the entrance of Southern Grounds, located at 695 Central Avenue | ST. PETE RISING

Southern Grounds and Co., a Jacksonville-based coffeehouse franchise focused on building community around high-quality food and drinks, is expanding to downtown St. Petersburg.

The bright, modern coffee shop will open Monday, August 18th next to The Melting Pot inside the newly renovated two-story building at 695 Central Avenue.

St. Pete’s coffee scene continues to grow, with each shop offering a unique experience. Southern Grounds aims to be more than just a coffeehouse, blending elements of a tapas bar and restaurant to create a co-working-style community gathering space.

The exterior of southern grounds | Souther Grounds

The new 2,430-square-foot location features a clean white aesthetic accented by colorful, Florida-inspired murals painted by local artist Matt Kress.

The open floor plan offers a mix of couch and table seating designed to encourage connection and conversation.

"Ten years ago, consumers didn't have a real connection to the neighborhood coffee shop where people were just looking for a quick energy fix. Over recent years, more coffee houses popped up on every corner promising convenience, but rarely offering a true sense of community and food was certainly secondary," Southern Grounds owner Mark Janasik said in an interview with St. Pete Rising.

"We want a coffee shop that has a soul."

Janasik, originally from Greece, and local franchise partner Jordan Hooten were drawn to St. Pete for its lively neighborhoods, diverse population, and welcoming atmosphere.

“I would regularly go to the Southern Grounds in Jacksonville, it was my favorite place to work from – there’s no other place like this. As soon as I heard they were franchising, I messaged Mark,” Hooten said. “People like to work at coffee houses, those places usually don’t have appetizing food.”

The bar inside Southern Grounds, which serves coffees, wines, and other beverages | st. pete rising

Hooten, who has a background in real estate, partnered with his college friends Nick and Zach Presti, well-known Jacksonville restaurateurs who operate EggBoy and Canopy Road Café. The trio, frequent visitors to St. Pete, saw the city’s vibrant retail and dining scene as an ideal fit for Southern Grounds.

The shop sources its beans from Intelligentsia Coffee, a Chicago-based roaster, and serves a variety of espresso-based drinks including lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, drip coffee, nitro cold brews, and French Press.

The menu also features kombucha, teas, chai, turmeric and matcha lattes, smoothies made with real fruit, wine, and craft beer from St. Pete’s Green Bench Brewing Company.

Southern Grounds offers a variety of dishes including bowls, salads, sandwiches, and toasts | southern grounds

Food is a central part of the concept.

“My upbringing in Europe and living in Greece for 10 years defined me as a restauranteur – having sustainable food and great hospitality is incredibly important,” Janasik said. “At Southern Grounds, we embrace ancient grains and ancestral cooking techniques. We source salmon from the Humboldt Current in Patagonia, honey from the Ocala forest, and beef from humane pastures in North Carolina.”

Breakfast options go well beyond the typical coffee shop fare, with menu items like croissant and bagel sandwiches, lox and cream cheese bagels, eggs benedict, French toast, pancakes, and grits.

Hooten’s favorites include the build-your-own omelet and the large breakfast burrito filled with sausage, fried potatoes, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, and jalapeno, topped with ranchero sauce, salsa verde, guacamole, pico de gallo, queso fresco, chives, and crème fraîche.

matcha Drinks from southern grounds | southern grounds

Lunch offerings include the Southern Grounds house burger with grass-fed beef, gruyere, bacon, onions, herbs, and mushrooms on buttered brioche, along with Greek pitas, grilled goat cheese and rotisserie chicken sandwiches, salads, quesadillas, and bowls such as the Korean Steak Bowl with grilled ribeye over jasmine rice, cucumber slaw, soy glaze, cilantro, and Gochujang yogurt sauce.

For dessert, customers can choose from an assortment of unique treats, including a Nutter Butter Sandwich Cookie, Lavender Pecan Bar, Chocolate Espresso Brownie, Mexican Hot Cocoa Tart, Eggnog Bourbon Cake, cheesecakes in flavors like Earl Grey and Pumpkin Sorghum, and gluten-free and vegan muffins.

Menu prices vary by location, and offerings may change seasonally.

A Southern Grounds house burger made with grass-fed beef, gruyere, bacon, onions, herbs, and mushrooms on buttered brioche | southern grounds

The St. Pete location will be open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with indoor, outdoor, and bar seating. Guests may often find the owners working in the shop, with Hooten focused on community engagement.

Live music on weekends is planned after the initial opening period.

Founded in 2016 and franchising since 2022, Southern Grounds has several locations in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. The company plans to expand to 50 corporate-owned stores in walkable neighborhoods over the next 15 years.

Be sure to follow Southern Grounds on Facebook and Instagram for the menu offerings and announcements.