Pacific Counter is a poke bowl and sushi burrito hot spot with two currently operating locations in the Tampa Bay region. Its third location is now open in South Tampa at 1732 S. Dale Mabry Highway.
Pacific Counter was the first build-your-own, fast-casual poke bowl and sushi burrito option in Pinellas County, having opened in September 2018, at 660 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. Pacific Counter opened a micro-location inside Tropicana Field in 2019 where they operate during Rays baseball games and events like Enchant Christmas Market. Their Lakewood Ranch location celebrated two years of being open in January of this year, and they currently have locations under construction in Downtown Tampa and Sarasota.
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“I am very excited to be back in South Tampa, where I originally established myself in the hospitality industry years ago!” says Eric Bialik, Co-Founder at Pacific Counter. “It is great to be able to bring Pacific Countercloser to the colleagues, friends, and family I have here in the area.” Bialik added.
Pacific Counter debuting this spring in South Tampa
The restaurant is well known for their daily offerings of fresh fish, it has also become a favorite of non-seafood eaters, and vegetarians/vegans. Bowls and burritos on the menu are priced between $10-$18 with bubble teas, sides, and drinks all priced between $3 – $10. The menu features 11 ready-to-order Counter Creations, as well as the Build Your Own option that can be configured in more than six million ways, according to a press release.
Also featured are a unique lineup of four different all beef hot dogs, loaded with toppings, served on Hawaiian Rolls. Traditional sides such as Edamame, Miso Soup, and Spam Musubi are also found on the menu, along with their highly addictive Pineapple Dole Whip for dessert. A variety of different lemonades & teas are handcrafted daily, as well as a fun variety of bottled & canned beverages. The restaurant also just added bubble tea to its menu.
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Bringing tasty and efficient eats to the entire region
Pacific Counter has focused on improving the guest experience through the study of diner analytics and the implementation of technology. Their team uses data science to improve the efficiencies on both the employee side, and the customer side of the counter. This location will be the first to implement multiple self-ordering kiosks for easy on-site ordering.
“We have learned a lot over the past few years and one trend that has continued to gain momentum is our guests desire for fresh food served efficiently and accurately on a consistent basis.” says Pacific Counter Co-Founder, Tanner Loebel. “This is where utilizing technology and data has helped us to enhance that overall guest experience, even if they are quick pick-ups or less than five minutes spent in our restaurant.” Pacific Counter is also partnered with every third-party delivery service, and offers an expansive catering program, to get their food to you.
Bubble teas, sushi burritos, and Dole Whip on the menu
Their downtown St. Pete location opened with great success and continues to be a wildly popular fast-casual option on Central Avenue. Pacific Counter’s venture to the suburbs has proven to be a success as they have experienced outstanding growth during their second year in Lakewood Ranch. Pacific Counter was recently listed on Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants in Florida list and has been named to the Tampa Bay Times list of Best Restaurants & Best of The Best List multiple times. They have won several Creative Loafing’s Best of The Bay Awards, including “Best Poke Bowls”. Pacific Counter was a fan favorite at Tropicana Field, where they remain one of the top vendors during the Rays games.
“Our first location was so close to being here in South Tampa, but that deal fell through at the eleventh hour, so it’s awesome to be coming back across the bridge to serve our friends & family here in Tampa!” says Eric Bialik, Co-Founder at Pacific Counter. “We’ve had such tremendous support from our community over the years, which has afforded us these opportunities, and we are so appreciative of everyone for that.” Loebel added.
“This store kind of fell into our lap and we jumped at the opportunity” said Chitthasack Noythanongsay (Chef Tock), Pacific Counter’s third Co-Founder. “Our Downtown Tampa location has been tied up with long construction delays, so when a second gen space on Dale Mabry that could open almost immediately became available, it was an easy decision”
Experience the sensational Pacific Counter hot dogs
Pacific Counter will be located in The Carriage Trade Plaza (1732 S. Dale Mabry Hwy) in the space previously occupied by Clean Juice. Pacific Counter will be next door neighbors with another recently opened hot spot, Crumbl Cookies. They are currently hiring for all positions and are expected to add 25 employees to their team over the next 30 days. If interested in an opportunity, you can easily apply on their website.
Pacific Counter will offer online ordering, delivery, takeout, and their full-scale catering program. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily. The restaurant is just about ready to go, but needs to build its team, with the anticipation of opening for business by the end of March.
Pacific Counter is a build-your-own, fast-casual poke bowl and sushi burrito restaurant founded in downtown St. Petersburg. Chef-driven and dedicated to freshness, Pacific Counter uses market fresh ingredients, and sushi grade seafood or higher. For more information, visit their website, or follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
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