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.

January 13, 2025

Popular vegan restaurant Golden Dinosaurs will permanently close

January 13, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Golden Dinosaurs, regarded as one of the best vegan restaurants in Tampa Bay, will be closing permanently later this month.

The popular vegan deli and bakery that slings plant-based sandwiches and sweets announced the upcoming closure at 2930 Beach Boulevard.

"The era of vegan restaurant extinction seems to be upon us, and Gold Dinos will unfortunately not survive the apocalypse," owners Brian and Audrey Dingeman wrote.

The husband-and-wife duo, also owners of St. Pete's Good Intentions vegan restaurant, cited economic challenges for closing the fast-casual space that opened in 2018.

January 03, 2025

Salty Pup Coffeehouse and Bakeshop opens in Gulfport

January 03, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Gulfport residents and their pups can enjoy a new cozy cafe serving coffee, baked goods, and a selection of breakfast and lunch items.

Jeff and Jody Musselman quietly opened the Salty Pup Coffeehouse and Bakeshop several weeks ago at 5004 Tangerine Avenue South, which was formerly home to Mama Pearl’s.

“Whenever we travel, we love visiting coffee shops for their different atmosphere and vibes. We’ve always talked about opening a shop one day,” Jody said to St. Pete Rising.

Named in tribute to their beloved dog, Salty Pup is working with a small Tampa-based wholesale coffee roaster to source beans for their espresso-based drinks, cold brew, and drip coffee. They also serve chai and matcha lattes.

December 30, 2024

Voila-Merci French bakery and bistro to open in Indian Shores next month

December 30, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

A new French bakery and cafe is bringing authentic French pastries, cakes, croissants, and more to Indian Shores next month.

Voila-Merci French Bakery and Bistro will be located inside the bright pink building at 19525 Gulf Boulevard in front of the Dolphin Key Condominiums.

The 2,680-square-foot space was previously home to the Original Pizza Restaurant, a longtime family-operated staple with Sicilian-style pies.

“My wife [Claire] and I owned two bakeries in Lyon, France for 20 years, but we sold them in 2023. We just obtained work visas to open our first bakery in the United States,” Philippe Monnet said to St. Pete Rising.