Pacific Counter to open new St. Pete location

Pacific Counter, a local fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in Hawaiian-style poke bowls and sushi burritos, is set to expand its presence in St. Petersburg with a new location opening at 210 37th Ave. N. 

This expansion comes nearly seven years after the restaurant was founded with its first location in St. Pete at 660 Central Ave.

“We’ve been looking with our brokers and agent for a spot somewhere on the Fourth Street corridor for years. It’s a difficult place,” said Tanner Loebel, co-founder of Pacific Counter. “Not a lot comes up available, and when it does, it usually goes quick.”

Pacific Counter will take over the approximately 1,300-square-foot former Island Fin Poké location in the Northeast Shopping Center. Loebel said moving into the space of a similar concept makes the buildout process much simpler, helping them save time and money on construction and permitting. They aim to have their new location open by the end of January.

Pacific Counter is known for its poke bowls (pictured), sushi burritos, boba tea and other fresh, fast-casual offerings. Photo provided.

Pacific Counter is the brainchild of three long-time friends and restaurant industry veterans. Loebel, who serves as the company’s CEO, has a background in food delivery services, having founded FOODNOW in 2011 before selling it to Bite Squad. Chitthasack Noythanongsay (known as Chef Tock), a classically trained master sushi chef, develops all of Pacific Counter’s recipes. Eric Bialik, with an extensive management background, is in charge of the company’s operations.

Pacific Counter’s menu features a variety of options, including build-your-own bowls and burritos, as well as pre-designed “Counter Creations.” The restaurant caters to various dietary preferences, offering vegan, gluten-free and cooked options. Most menu items are priced under $15.

After seeing success with their first location in downtown St. Pete, the trio continued expanding and now owns multiple locations across the Tampa Bay area, including Lakewood Ranch, downtown and South Tampa, Sarasota and another opening this March in Apollo Beach, bringing the total to eight locations.

Despite facing challenges in recent years with supply chain issues and inflation, Loebel credits Pacific Counter’s success to their focus on high-quality ingredients and a hands-on approach to management.

“Myself and my partners are involved in every aspect. There’s not a single day that the three of us are not in a store somewhere, doing something,” Loebel said. “This is our only venture, and this is our passion. I think that’s what has kept us going.”

Pacific Counter returned to Tropicana Field in 2024 for its sixth season at the baseball stadium. Vendors like Pacific Counter now face an uncertain future after damage from Hurricane Milton in October left the Trop’s roof torn to shreds, throwing future Tampa Bay Rays seasons into flux. Photo provided.

Although Loebel and his partners live in St. Pete and founded Pacific Counter here, Loebel said their goal this year is to begin franchising nationally.

As for the chain’s Tropicana Field location? Loebel said there’s still “a lot of unknowns” after Hurricane Milton’s gusts shredded the Trop’s fabric dome last October, leaving the Tampa Bay Rays scrambling to find somewhere to play their upcoming season and halting future plans to rebuild the baseball stadium.

“We did very well at the Trop and we love our partnership with the Rays. We had just signed an extension to put us through the end of [the current] Tropicana Field, so four years, and then that got us first rights to be in the new stadium, which we were really excited about,” Loebel lamented. “So, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’re cautiously optimistic and we’re still hopeful about an opportunity to be there.”

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