“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.”