New cafe and diner, Seymour’s, opens in St. Pete: “It’s good”

A group of people (5) pose for a photo inside a small diner in front of an order counter.
The Seymour's team celebrates the soft opening of the diner and cafe on February 26.

Steven Peterman, the mind behind Pete’s Bagels, has officially opened Seymour’s in the historic Snell Arcade at 407 Central Avenue. Peterman and his team have overhauled the interior aesthetic, transforming it into a classic diner and adding more seating in the backroom.

“We want it to feel cozy and familiar,” said Peterman when the concept was first announced. “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.” In addition to bagels, Seymour’s will offer a traditional cafe menu featuring breakfast bowls, quiches, savory scones, and a selection of artisanal cakes, brownies, and pies, which Peterman is incredibly excited to debut.

interior of a small diner and cafe with pastries on display behind a glass case, and a seperate seating area visible through an open doorway
Seymour’s offers grab-and-go items, as well as an intimate space to enjoy a sit-down meal.
a slice of cake topped with oranges next to three small paper menus on a wooden table

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.

aerial view of a yogurt bowl with fresh strawberries and blueberries with granola
Enjoy fresh yogurt bowls at Seymour’s
interior of a small diner and cafe. Behind the order counter are rows of bagels. Pastries are displayed behind a glass case
Seymour’s offers an intimate dining space with ample room to enjoy a coffee, and pastry with a view of Central Avenue

The current menu at Seymour’s

Here’s a quick sampling of the menu at Seymour’s:

  • Seasonal breakfast scone
  • Biscuit served with homemade jam and honey butter
  • Yogurt bowl with fresh berries and granola
  • Tuna salad
  • Chicken salad
  • Lox toast
  • Bobbie’s matzo ball soup
  • Salty Seymour: Pete’s salt bagel with plain cream cheese and house-made jam, served open-faced
a slice of quiche filled with veggies next to a bowl filled with a side salad
Tomato Mozzarella Basil Quiche at Seymour’s

The cafe also had gluten-free brownies and peanut butter cookies on display.

Bringing a new bagel drive-thru to the Sunshine City

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.”

exterior of a small diner with three large windows
Seymour’s is located inside the historic Snell Arcade on the 400 Block of the Central Avenue

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