It's been said that St. Petersburg power brokers tend to flock to the Atlanta Bread Company in downtown like teenagers to a McDonald's parking lot.

For the incredulous, consider this: Among the influential gathered at Atlanta Bread Company Friday morning at different tables were St. Petersburg Council Chairman Jamie Bennett and council member Leslie Curran, former mayor David Fischer, Sembler Company President Craig Sher, attorney Charles Harris and Nancy Loehr, Progress Energy's community relations manager.

-Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer