Fast-casual concept Pacific Counter to open second St. Pete brick and mortar this month

A popular local chain is opening another restaurant in its original stomping grounds.

Pacific Counter’s newest location will open at 210 37th Ave. N in St. Pete, out of a former Island Fin Poke space around the corner from other popular concepts like Cali, Fresh Kitchen and El Cap.

St. Pete Catalyst says that its upcoming, 1,300 square-foot location in the Northeast Shopping Center is slated to open by the end of January.

Pacific Counter is known for its customizable, Hawaiian-style poke bowls, hot dogs—with fresh toppings like Vietnamese-style daikon salad, kimchi, Hawaiian salsa and avocado—Spam musubi, and pineapple-flavored soft serve ice cream.

For drinks, the fast-casual concept offers freshly-squeezed juices, kombucha, a few different flavors of boba tea, coconut water and other canned beverages.

Customers who purchase Pacific Counter bowls can choose from a variety of signature flavors—like the O.G. with rice, noodles, mixed greens, tuna, edamame, avocado, red onions, shredded nori and sesame seeds—or build their own orders starting with a base of white or brown rice, gluten-free noodles or mixed greens and adding proteins like tofu, tuna or salmon (spicy or regular), imitation crab, baked or barbecued chicken, shrimp, calamari, or mushrooms.

Toppings include a range of vegetables, fruit, herbs and other items like seaweed salad, slaw, radish sprouts, masago, pickled ginger, crispy shallots, wonton crisps, chili flakes, chia seeds and furikake, plus a variety of sweet, spicy and tangy house made sauces.

Partners Tock Noythanongsay, Tanner Loebel, and Eric Bialik—who all have extensive backgrounds in the restaurant industry—opened the first Pacific Counter at 660 Central Ave. in 2018 and have been consistently opening locations since.

St. Pete’s upcoming Pacific Counter marks the locally-owned and operated company’s seventh location in Tampa Bay, including another soon-to-open storefront in Apollo Beach. Other locations can be found in Tampa, Sarasota, and Lakewood Ranch.

Despite being based in The ‘Burg, this upcoming Pacific Counter location is just the local company’s second brick and mortar in St. Pete.

Its scaled-down location inside of Tropicana Field has been closed since Hurricane Milton damaged its roof last fall, although the Catalyst says that Pacific Counter recently extended its contract with the stadium for another four years.

Head to @pacific_counter on Instagram for the latest updates on its new St. Pete location, amongst other news like upcoming menu items, specials, and more.

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This article appears in Jan 16-22, 2025.