The Sourdough Co. to open three-story, 11,000-square-foot bakery and cafe in historic bank building in downtown St. Pete
/The Sourdough Co. has announced they will relocate to the historic Union Trust Bank building in downtown St. pete | Tricera Capital
After nearly three years in the EDGE District, The Sourdough Co. is preparing to relocate to one of downtown St. Pete’s most recognizable historic buildings.
The bakery and café will move from 1113 Central Avenue to the former Union Trust bank building at 895 Central Avenue.
The 1926 building has remained vacant since its last bank tenant left in 1996.
The Sourdough Co. will occupy nearly 11,000 square feet across the building’s ground floor, mezzanine, and basement.
Owner Ariana Duksa announced the move on social media Monday.
“From baking inside our home to filling a historic building in the heart of St. Pete… we can hardly believe we get to say that,” Duksa wrote. “Thank you to every person who has ever purchased a loaf, pastry, coffee or meal from us. From a cottage bakery, to our first storefront, to this beautiful historic bank.”
Before opening its first storefront in 2023, The Sourdough Co. operated as a cottage bakery out of Duksa’s Seminole home.
The business built a following through its naturally fermented sourdough loaves, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, soups, wraps, and sandwiches before moving into the former Karma Juice Bar & Eatery space next to Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails.
The current café gave the business a place to grow, but Duksa said The Sourdough Co. needed more room and a more permanent home.
Its landlord would only agree to one-year lease terms, leaving the business without the long-term certainty it wanted before making further investments.
Owners of The Sourdough Co., Ariana and Ryan Duksa | The Sourdough Co
“We knew we needed a bigger space anyway,” Duksa said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We considered commissary kitchens and baking off-site while keeping our retail operation here. We looked at several different options, but ultimately, our lease wasn’t secure. We wanted to find a space we could grow into, with more room for our team and our customers.”
The new location will give The Sourdough Co. room to expand its food and coffee offerings, increase bakery production, and add more grab-and-go and retail items.
Duksa said the café is still working through its future menu, but expects to add more breakfast and lunch options beyond its current sandwich- and wrap-focused selection.
The larger space will also change how customers use the café.
People will continue ordering at the counter before finding a seat, but they will be able to choose from several levels of the building.
Duksa said the basement will have a quieter, moodier atmosphere for customers who want to work or settle in with a coffee, while the former bank vault will be open daily for seating.
The café also plans to use its additional room for private events and collaborations with other businesses.
“It should be a place where someone comes, eats, hangs out,” Duksa said. “They can come on a daily basis.”
For Duksa, the building’s character was a major part of the appeal. The former bank has high ceilings, arched windows, exposed brick, and a large vault, many of which will remain part of the finished café.
“We have the honor of bringing this building back to life while protecting what makes it so special,” Duksa wrote in her announcement. “We’re preserving its beautiful windows, original brick and massive bank vault with deep respect for its history.”
The renovation will include building out the two existing kitchens to meet The Sourdough Co.’s needs.
Duksa said the team is considering refinishing the floors and incorporating walnut wood, marble, and gold finishes that fit the building’s original character.
She also hopes to display historic photos, checks, and other memorabilia from its years as a bank.
“A lot of it did get torn out, and we don’t want to tear any of that out,” Duksa said. “Why would you cover it up? Why would you get rid of it?”
The Union Trust building was constructed during St. Pete’s first major real estate boom. It was expanded in 1938 and again in 1967, although those additions were eventually demolished for the neighboring Camden Central apartments, leaving the original bank structure.
The historic building has attracted several proposals since NationsBank, now Bank of America, moved out in 1996.
In 2023, entrepreneur Jim Fiore announced plans for J. Fiore’s Contemporary Steakhouse at the property, though the project never materialized.
Duksa said The Sourdough Co. hopes to open in early 2027, although permitting and construction could affect that timeline.
Until then, the bakery and café will remain open daily at 1113 Central Avenue.
Be sure to follow The Sourdough Co. on Instagram for updates.
