Thrive
St. Pete Running Company to celebrate new location Sunday
The store is also home to a coffee shop.
St. Pete Running Company owners Cody and Janna Angell are invested in creating a healthier community through physical activity.
They soft opened their second location, at 2601 Dr. MLK, Jr. St. N., in December. A grand opening will be held Sunday (Jan. 11).
The couple opened their first shop in the Tyrone area in 2014. “We wanted a footprint on the East side of town too,” Cody explained, “because a lot of our customers were coming from there.”
The new 1,300-square-foot store offers items such as running shoes and accessories. Additionally, it is a place for individuals to meet to do group runs together.
The venture is also home to a coffee shop.
“People have come to our first store just to hang out. So, it quickly transcended a normal retail environment and became like a club,” he said. “So, with the second store, we thought ‘why not give them a reason to hang out.’”
Coffee is a passion for the couple.
They used to live in Australia, which has a significant coffee scene. The culture is also “outdoorsy,” Angell explained. He and his wife would go for runs and then enjoy a cup of coffee together after.
During their travels, they would visit cafes and take note of ideas for a potential coffee shop of their own. This “sculpted the ethos of” what the couple ultimately created, Angell added.
St. Pete Running Company is working with a roaster based in Orlando that uses beans from a single farm in Guatemala. The couple has also partnered with St. Petersburg-based More Living Ceramics to create mugs for guests.
St. Pete Running Company’s coffee bar at its new location.
The Angell family faced multiple challenges ahead of the store’s soft opening. They decided to completely rebuild the space, which required new plumbing and electrical work.
Additionally, permitting took approximately six to seven months.
“This felt like the cool neighbor feel where you can see the same people every week,” Angell said, “and become integrated into the flow of that community.”
The Sunday grand opening event will include an 8 a.m. run. There will be two two different groups, he added. Attendees will be able to test out running shoes from one of St. Pete Running Company’s partners as well.
A 9:30 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony will follow.
For the Angells, it’s all about encouraging people to be more active. Believes Cody: “Walking and running are really simple solutions to a lot of complicated problems in the world.”
St. Pete Running Company website
