In addition to the new location, the company recently opened a production kitchen in Gulfport, giving it much more capacity for bagel production.
It also allows Pete’s to return to a more traditional bagel-making process, using bagel boards, which are essentially wooden planks wrapped in burlap and soaked in water. The bagels are placed upside down on the boards for part of the bake, helping create a crisp exterior and soft interior.
“Over the next week, we’re going back to the really traditional way of making the bagels,” Peterman said. “We had to change the process a while ago to keep up with demand, but we’re going back to using bagel boards and the traditional revolving oven that we couldn’t fit in our old space.”
Pete’s Bagels first opened in St. Pete’s Historic Uptown in 2019. The company now operates its Grand Central shop, a drive-thru location in south St. Pete, a sister location in Ybor City, and a newer café in Tarpon Springs.
Peterman also owns Seymour’s, a New York-style bagel shop in downtown St. Pete’s Snell Arcade.
For now, the immediate focus is getting the new shop open, keeping the staff working, and giving Pete’s customers a place that feels familiar while offering more room to stay awhile.
“We want this to be a community hangout,” Peterman said. “We want you to come, work here, hang out, bring your family, bring your kids. Even if you’re just buying a coffee and sitting there, we want to be that daytime place.”
Be sure to follow Pete’s Bagels on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date.