June 09, 2025

Pete’s Bagels opens new drive-thru in restored historic building in south St. Pete

June 09, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

After two years of extensive restoration, Pete’s Bagels has officially opened its newest location in the historic 1926-built Harbordale Standard Oil Station located at 2439 4th Street South in south St. Pete.

The 320-square-foot building, which is considered St. Pete’s oldest gas station, now has an drive-thru stocked with a menu of bagels and bagel sandwiches and coffee from local roaster Look Alive Coffee.

The opening comes several years after former City Councilman Robert Blackmon purchased the property in November 2019 for $125,000 and undertook an extensive restoration with plans to transform it into a boutique drive-through café.

May 22, 2025

The Common Thread yarn shop and cafe opens this August in the Warehouse Arts District

May 22, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A cozy new yarn shop and coffee shop is weaving its way into the Warehouse Arts District this summer.

The Common Thread is opening this August at 2462 5th Avenue South, in the location that previously housed HaleLife Bakery and Bistro, and before that, The Chelsea coffee shop.

Nicole Potts Hart of KW Commercial represented both O’Brien and the property owner in the lease transaction.

Founder Shannon O’Brien, a longtime crocheter and San Francisco transplant who made St. Pete her permanent home in 2022, had been searching for a local yarn shop in St. Pete.

March 06, 2025

Seymour’s is now open, serving up scratch-made NY-style eats in downtown St. Pete

March 06, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The team behind Pete’s Bagels has opened their latest venture—a warm and welcoming Jewish-inspired cafe and coffee shop in downtown St. Pete.

Seymour’s quietly debuted last week at 407 Central Avenue, inside the historic 99-year-old Snell Arcade and directly across from the Residences at 400 Central, which will be the largest residential tower on Florida’s Gulf Coast once complete. The space was previously home to Samurai Cat Japanese Café and Bakery, and before that Beans and Barlour .

Seymour’s—named in honor of owner Steven Peterman’s grandfather—offers a menu of New York deli-style cuisine for breakfast and lunch and coffee courtesy of local roaster Look Alive Coffee.

“My grandfather was a typical guy from New Jersey with an upbeat attitude,” Peterman said in a recent interview with St. Pete Rising. “He was born in 1928 in Newark, NJ. He liked his bagels scooped, ate his pickles on the side, and loved a good rye bread sandwich.”

January 31, 2025

Pete's Bagels team to open new cafe and coffee shop Seymour's in downtown St. Pete

January 31, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The team behind the popular Pete's Bagels is opening a new spot for breakfast, lunch, and coffee in downtown St. Pete.

Seymour's will debut this February at 407 Central Avenue inside the historic Snell Arcade. The space was previously home to Samurai Cat Japanese Cafe and Bakery.

“We are excited to bring the Pete's vibe to downtown St. Pete. We will focus on having a full cafe and bakery with an old vintage St. Pete vibe in the Snell Arcade,” Owner Steven Peterman said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

“This will be more of a cafe experience - it won’t be a bagel shop like Pete’s.”

January 29, 2025

Family-friendly Swell Coffee debuts in Largo with house-made syrups and baked goods

January 29, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A new cozy kid-friendly coffee shop has made its debut in Largo.

Swell Coffee, a specialty coffee shop with house-made syrups and pastries from local bakeries, celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday, January 28th, near the corner of Bryan Dairy Road and Starkey Road at 11148 Starkey Road.

The 1,500-square-foot space was previously occupied by Subway.

“We looked at more than 30 spaces in a six-month window. We've had this space in July, but the hurricanes set us back on the opening date,” Sarah Cerny said.