The Brief
- Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, a legendary restaurant in St. Petersburg, has been in business for 74 years.
- The restaurant, which has maintained its simple menu and rustic charm since 1951, is now run by the fifth generation of the founder’s family.
- It’s commitment to consistency and quality has made it a nostalgic landmark for generations of customers.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla – The story of Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish is a classic tale of a family business built from the ground up—or in this case, from a discarded smoker.
In the 1940s, Ted Peters and his family moved to Florida. He first opened a small restaurant called the Blue Anchor Inn, but in 1951, he found an old smoker in a local dump and decided to open a new spot on Pasadena Ave.
Ted had a clever idea: He put the smoker out front, and when he saw cars driving by, he would run out and open it up, allowing the delicious smell of smoked fish to lure in customers. This bold move was a hit, and the business has been a fixture on the corner ever since.
For decades, the restaurant has been a family affair. Ted’s nephew, Michael Lathrop, was “tricked” into a job that was only supposed to last a couple of weeks but turned into a 54-year career. …