Pete’s Bagels at 2439 4th St. S in St. Petersburg, Florida. Credit: Screengrab via petes_general/Instagram

Neighbors may have noticed more traffic at the corner of 4th Street S and 25th Avenue S. Steven Peterman certainly has.

The co-founder of Pete’s Bagels opened the fourth location of his cafe at 2439 4th St. S last weekend, and the locals have been flocking.

“I expected people to be excited, but there is much excitement that there’s just every person who came through was just like, ‘Thank you for opening something down here,’” Peterman told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “I feel like people are just figuratively and literally hungry for things.”

The latest Pete’s Bagels is a drive-thru, and is a first for the local chain—but you don’t need a car to access it.

“We definitely encourage people to drive through the drive through… or they can walk or bike through the drive thru, they shouldn’t be afraid,” Peterman said.

The new Pete’s Bagels also has minimal outside seating.

Pete’s Bagels started as Pete’s General in 2019 at Round Lake, then rebranded when it moved to First Avenue S in 2021.

Pete’s Bagels wanted to provide a convenience feel to the bakery, making it easy to grab and go during any time of the week. Every morning, the bagels are boiled and baked at the flagship, ensuring the freshest quality bagels for all who indulge.

Pete’s Bagel has worked towards expansion since its founding, and this new location has been in the works for two years after Peterman reached out to the building’s previous owner.

The opening comes just a few months after Pete’s launched a sister concept, Seymour’s Bagel Shop, at St. Pete’s Snell Arcade.

For updates on the new location, follow @petes_general Instagram.

CORRECTION 06/09/25 08:31 p.m. Corrected because the location is in Harbordale, not Gulfport.
06/09/25 1:34 p.m. corrected to clarify the original Pete’s location.

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

This article appears in Jun 5-11, 2025.