Steven Peterman—Owner and Chief Bagel Officer at Pete’s General and Pete’s Bagels in St. Petersburg—told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that after this weekend, his shop will be ready to fully lean into its soft opening.
Located at 1804 E 4th Ave. right next to the Friends of Ybor Dog Park, Pete’s Ybor plans to have its full menu ready by March 15.
The offerings include five all-day bagel menu items that someone might find at Pete’s St. Pete locations, but more Tampa-only cafe-style choices like breakfast, yogurts and granola, all available in Pinellas, but in more of a grab-and-go format. “All the stuff in Ybor is going to be made to order,” Peterman said.
Handling it all is Pete’s Pantry Chef Marissa Jennings who’s also working hand-in-hand with the restaurant’s new bagel team which is baking in a tiny St. Pete kitchen, specifically for Tampa, overnight 9 p.m.-5 a.m.
“Everything is done by six and brought over by seven. Everything else, like our sauces, will be made in Ybor,” Peterman added. And yes, there’ll be a take on the Cuban bagel sandwich. “We’re still kind of working that out.”
Also planned for the Pete’s Ybor menu: grilled cheese, fig and brie sandwiches. Once the team really settles in, Pete’s will start to do charcuterie boards, plus beer and wine (the alcohol license is in the works).
For now, hours at Pete’s Ybor during soft opening will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. By March 15, the shop hopes to be running its full 8 a.m.-8 p.m. hours, seven days a week.
For the latest updates on Ybor City’s Pete’s, follow its Facebook page or Instagram at @petes_general.
Last Friday, a cool breeze overpowered the heat. Peterman said there hasn’t been a day that it hasn’t blown through.
Options on the soft opening menu included the Original Pete (lox, capers, arugula, pickled red onion, cream cheese), the Salami Pete (with pickles, mustard, cream cheese), plus an egg & cheese bagel, and the Millenial Pete with avocado spread arugula and pickled red onion.
Each table outside is right next to a power outlet, and the WiFi is free, making Pete’s the perfect place to park it for a remote work day. “I don’t know when places stopped with free WiFi, but we want you to hang out,” Peterman added.
And in the days since he started buildout, Peterman’s gotten to know his new neighbors, too.
“There are definitely people looking for a calmer atmosphere. We’re doing the beer and wine thing, but we definitely wanted this to be a place where the kids could run around, too,” he said.
One guy you might see at Pete’s quite a lot is Andrew Tambuzzo, who owns West Tampa’s Boozy Pig butcher shop and cafe. Tambuzzo’s grandpa used to own a small grocery store next to the Pete’s parcel. As a kid, he ran around in the empty lot that’s now the cafe, and he learned to be a butcher right there.
“We’re gonna do some stuff with him,” Peterman said. “We’re excited to be using his stuff because it adds to that historical value.”
And as Pete’s continues 4th Street’s evolution into restaurant row (Nana’s Restaurant and Juice Bar is two blocks west), Peterman thinks that the calmer atmosphere he’s helping cultivate in Ybor City can be a hallmark of the neighborhood, just like the nightlife on 7th Avenue two blocks north.
“I definitely think it can coexist,” he said. “This isn’t an alternative to that, it’s more just something if you want a little more milder scene.”
It hopes to have its full menu ready by March 15.
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This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 1, 2023.
