New cafe and diner, Seymour’s Coffee, is coming soon to downtown St. Pete

building with clear blue sky in background
Seymour's Coffee will occupy 407 Central in the historic Snell Arcade.

Pete’s Bagel’s owner, Steven Peterman, is launching a new cafe concept, Seymour’s Coffee, in the historic Snell Arcade at 407 Central Avenue, which formerly housed Samurai Cat. Peterman and his team have overhauled the interior aesthetic, transforming it into a classic diner and adding more seating in the backroom. Seymour’s Coffee is set to officially open before March 1, offering a fresh dining option in downtown St. Pete.

“We want it to feel cozy and familiar,” says Peterman. “Familiar” is the operable word here because Seymour’s Coffee pays homage to Peterman’s late grandfather. It boasts a classic vibe similar to Pete’s Bagels: clean-cut with natural wood accents, complemented by a vintage aesthetic. Peterman’s description blurs the distinction between his grandfather and the cafe, which appears intentional.

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Peterman emphasizes that this new cafe concept is not a replica of Pete’s Bagels. “When you live within the Pete’s brand, everyone has an expectation of bagels…we wanted to be able to do something new and expand.” Instead of bagels, Seymour’s will offer a traditional cafe menu featuring breakfast bowls, quiches, savory scones, and a selection of artisanal pies, which Peterman is especially excited to debut.

3 bags of coffee on a steel table.
Partnering with Look Alive Coffee, Seymour’s will serve new coffee blends before you can get them anywhere else. Photo via Kelly Packard.

Exciting partnership with Look Alive Coffee

In addition to mouthwatering delights, Seymour’s will offer coffee from boutique St. Pete bean roasters Look Alive Coffee. Look Alive Coffee is known for its unique, disruptive roasts and blends. It focuses on co-fermenting experiments that process the beans along with fruits like cherries and peaches. They also naturally process many of their beans, retaining mucilage on the seed, which provides a deep fruity note.

Seymour’s and Look Alive Coffee use their partnership as an incubation ground for limited and experimental coffee blends, which will first appear at Seymour’s. This collaboration allows patrons to enjoy an advanced taste of the exciting new coffees Look Alive creates.

Pete’s Bagels drive-thru

Since 2019, Peterman has steadily expanded his eateries in St. Pete. This spring he is launching a new Pete’s Bagels drive-thru at 2439 4th St. S. Additionally, he has expanded his initial Pete’s Bagels and General Store to a larger location in the Grand Central District at 2361 1st Ave S., opened a sister location in Ybor at 1804 E 4th Ave, and established a dedicated bakery in Gulfport at 1407 49th St S.

When asked if he has his sights set on expanding his brands further, Peterman emphasizes that he’s content with what he’s been able to accomplish so far. Redirecting his attention to his current business location, Peterman states, “We’re excited to be in the community…We want to keep bringing people good food.”

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