10/14/2026
A drive-thru bagel shop on the coast of Tampa Bay...
🥯 Pete’s Bagels and General Store
📍 St. Petersburg & Tampa, FL
📅 2019
🏆 Pete’s is built on fresh food, community, and family. We opened our first shop in 2019 after husband-and-wife team Steven and Sara Peterman returned to St. Petersburg following a decade in New York City. Along with their friend, Erica Gonzalez, who joined the team from the very beginning—back when the shop had papered windows and a single folding chair—they set out to create something uniquely their own. Inspired by Brooklyn bodegas, neighborhood general stores, and a vision for an authentic Florida bagel, they knew St. Pete was the perfect place to bring their dream to life. Pete’s General was born in Historic Uptown, just around the corner from where Sara grew up. From day one, we’ve been committed to making as much as possible from scratch—from our bagels and house-made cream cheeses to our pickles, pastries, and seasonal specials—fresh every single day. Our talented baking team and dedicated staff have helped grow Pete’s into the community staple it is today. Since those early days, we’ve grown far beyond what we imagined. Today, Pete’s proudly has five locations across the Tampa Bay area, serving guests in St. Petersburg, Ybor City, and Tarpon Springs, with our newest Tarpon Springs shop opening in February 2026. We were honored to be named Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay “Best Bagels” in 2025 and are hoping to defend the title for a second year in a row. We can’t wait to bring our bagels to BagelFest and share our take on the Florida bagel—fresh, handcrafted, unmistakably Pete’s, packed with flavor, and rooted in the community and hospitality that have been at the heart of Pete’s since day one.
The New York BagelFest presented by King Arthur Baking Company returns to Citi Field on Sunday, November 15th. Tickets are now on sale at bagelfest.com 🎟