Developer behind what is expected to be St. Pete’s first Whole Foods plans a Starbucks nearby

It appears that another Starbucks is slated for 4^th Street North, just west of what is expected to be a Whole Foods Market.

The city’s Development Review Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a request for the city to vacate – or give up its interest in – part of an alley, so that the property owners could consolidate two separate parcels and build a new quick-serve restaurant with a drive-thru window.

The site plan that accompanied the request showed a Starbucks logo at the location of what is currently the Southern Telephone Systems building at 3939 4^th St. N.

The site plan submitted to the Development Review Commission shows a Starbucks logo for what is currently the Southern Telephone Systems building at 3939 4th St. N.

The new development is just west of a proposed organic grocery store – widely speculated to be St. Petersburg’s first Whole Foods Market —  near 38^th Avenue North and 3^rd Street North. The site where the new grocery store would be located currently includes a locally owned coffee shop, Kahwa Coffee.

The grocery store and restaurant properties are owned by several related companies controlled by Abraham Reichbach and his family. Jay Miller, president, J Square Developers, represented Reichbach at Wednesday’s DRC hearing on the restaurant as well as at a DRC hearing on the grocery store in February.

The new Starbucks would be the fourth Starbucks location on 4^th Street North. Others are at 900 4^th St. N., 4946 4^th St. N. and 8801 4^th St. N.

Closer look: The companies behind the deal

Four companies, all of which list Abraham Reichbach as manager in state records, own the properties where the new restaurant and grocery store would be located.

The grocery store site has been owned for several years by Sunrise Plaza Holdings LLC and Zag Enterprise Holdings.

Zipzea Holdings LLC bought the land where the restaurant would be located — the Southern Telephone Systems property at 3939 4^th St. N. — in December 2020 for $2 million.

Beach to Bay LLC bought adjacent vacant commercial land at 340 40^th Ave. N. in September 2020 for $1.8 million. That property previously was home to Pine Oak Mobile Home Park, which was demolished in early 2020.