La Segunda Bakery is expanding to St. Petersburg

Ybor City’s legendary La Segunda Bakery and Cafe is expanding with a third location, crossing the bay for the first time to open a spot in St. Petersburg.

The iconic bakery, which recently celebrated 106 years in business, will open this fall inside the Holiday Plaza, a new mixed-use development at 2436 4th St. N, according to a news release.

The cross-bay move marks the latest expansion for the classic Tampa bakery, which first opened in 1915 and is among the area’s oldest and most beloved purveyors of Cuban bread. In 2018, the bakery expanded with a second location on Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa, making the new location the first for Pinellas County.

At roughly 1,800-square-feet, the St. Petersburg spot is considerably smaller than the Tampa outposts, and while the Ybor City flagship provides the signature palmetto frond-imprinted loaves to restaurants all over the Tampa Bay area and beyond, the new spot will focus specifically on local grab-and-go orders, delivery and catering operations. The space will also feature enough indoor seating for approximately 40 people and an outdoor, pet-friendly patio with room for an additional 40 seats outside.

Copeland More, the bakery’s fourth-generation owner, said the 4th Street N location was attractive both for its walkability and the mix of residential and office space nearby.

“We often have visitors from St. Petersburg at our two Tampa locations, so we’re very excited to continue our expansion efforts across the bay and bring a little bit of Ybor to the Sunshine City,” More said.

Designers for the new space looked to the bakery’s flagship operation and Ybor City for inspiration and the new space will feature red brick walls, custom iron work accents and globe-shaped pendant lighting.

Fans of the bakery’s signature sandwiches and pastries will be happy to hear most of the items will be available at the St. Petersburg location, including the classic Cuban sandwiches, salads, Italian cookies, and those impossibly flaky guava and cheese turnovers. Cuban cafe con leche, made with Ybor-based Naviera coffee, will of course also be served.

Once open, the St. Petersburg bakery will operate daily from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.