Tramor Cafeteria

Bob’s Cafeteria

The Tramor Cafeteria, once an iconic establishment in St. Petersburg, Florida, represents a significant chapter in the city’s mid-20th-century history. This cafeteria was renowned for its food and cultural role as a vibrant community hub in downtown St. Petersburg. From its opening in the 1930s until its transformation into different ventures later in the century, the Tramor Cafeteria is a testament to a golden age of cafeteria-style dining that was widely popular across Florida.

The Tramor was first owned and operated by restaurateur Robert Ely. He opened his first cafeteria at the Albemarle Hotel around 1914. Perhaps his most celebrated cafeteria was “Bob’s,” located in the basement of the Snell Arcade. The small windows allowing natural light into the basement may still be seen on the sidewalk outside the Snell. Ely also operated a restaurant on the roof of the Snell Arcade known as Spanish Bob’s Nightclub.

Design and Construction

The Tramor Cafeteria opened in 1930 on Fourth Street and Second Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg as “Bob’s Cafeteria.” Designed by the architectural firm Hadley and Nordstrom, the building’s style is a mix between Spanish and Mediterranean Revival. The exterior is anchored with three towers capped with clay barrel tiles and decorated eve brackets. There are also decorative iron balconettes. The interior is meant to replicate an old Spanish home. The ceiling is painted to represent a blue sky with wispy white clouds. There are tile floors, interior balconies, pecky cypress beams, and stone columns.

The architects’ portfolio included the Snell Isle Bridge, the Snell Isle Country Club, the 1938 addition to the Union Trust Bank, and the original ‘Thrill Hill,’ the small bridge over Salt Creek in South St. Petersburg.

The cafeteria building was constructed with high-quality materials for its time, featuring structural steel and concrete block masonry walls. The contractor, Reuben Clarson, repurposed 70-foot-long trusses that were originally intended for an abandoned airport project at Weedon Island. In addition to this cafeteria, Clarson is known for building St. Petersburg City Hall and, on the opposite coast, the launch pad for the first satellite.

The Tramor Cafeteria

Within a year of its opening, the cafeteria’s name changed to Holsum’s Cafeteria. It did not become the Tramor Cafeteria until 1939, when the Haige Corporation purchased the property. The Haige Corporation was owned by four brothers: Allan, Enar, Henry, and Lander Haige. According to Enar and Lander, the name Tramor came from an old resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, known as the Traymore Hotel. The idea of the name was so patrons knew they’d get more on the tray.’ The Haiges dropped the ‘Y’ partly for reasons of advertising. Somehow, the letter Y caused the ads to use another line, adding to the cost of advertising.

The Haige brothers were involved in several Tramor cafeterias at various times, with three located in St. Petersburg. Other locations were in West Palm Beach and Orlando. The most popular Tramor cafeteria in St. Petersburg was on Fourth Street, referred to by the Haige brothers as “No. 4.” Earlier Tramor cafeterias in St. Petersburg operated on First Avenue North in the Dusenbary Arcade and near the corner of First Avenue and Fifth Street North.

St. Petersburg became a popular retirement destination in the mid-20th century, attracting seasonal visitors who preferred the affordable, casual dining options offered by local cafeterias. The brothers running the establishment drew in business with their rock-bottom prices and promotions. Tenderloin steak was just 21 cents, and stew cost 17 cents. At one point, every customer received a free lottery ticket, with the prize being a trip to Havana, which only cost about $30 or $40 in the 1940s. In a 1975 interview, Lander Haige remarked, “It was easy for us to do, and the customers loved it.”

They also had a living statue stationed by the cashier’s counter, standing “stiff, just like a dummy” for hours. If a customer could make him laugh, they would receive a free meal. The experience was further enhanced by a fortune teller and live organ music.

At its peak, the Tramor Cafeteria was one of St. Petersburg’s “Big Eight” cafeterias, comprising the core of St. Petersburg’s fabled cafeteria culture. These included the Orange Blossom, Driftwood, Garden, Dixie, Webb’s City, Home Dairy, and Morrison’s, in addition to the original Tramor. Of these, only the Orange Blossom continues to operate – not as a cafeteria, but as a caterer and banquet facility. The group of cafeterias collectively became a landmark of St. Petersburg’s local culture, offering an alternative to more formal dining.

Decline of Cafeterias Across St. Petersburg

As the social landscape evolved in the 1960s and 1970s, St. Petersburg’s demographic profile changed. The city became a quieter, more residential community, and the influx of seasonal tourists started to diminish. As a result, cafeterias like Tramor faced a steep decline in customer traffic. Cafeterias also couldn’t compete with fast-food restaurants, which offered more efficient and convenient services.

Acquired by the St. Petersburg Times

In 1981, the St. Petersburg Times Publishing Company acquired the Tramor establishment. The headquarters of the Times, along with the Evening Independent building, were located on the same block as the Tramor. The Times was founded on this block in 1920, while the Independent building originates from approximately 1907. Both edifices exhibit the Mediterranean Revival architectural style, including a short-hipped barrel-tile tower resembling that of the Tramor. It is plausible that Robert Ely considered the proximity of the two newspapers when he selected the location for the Tramor, as their employees constituted a significant customer demographic.

Following the acquisition of the Tramor, the Times maintained the cafeteria’s accessibility to both the public and its employees. Additionally, the Times contracted the renowned Orange Blossom Cafeteria to supply meals, and for most of the years, they owned the Tramor. In 1991, the Tramor Cafeteria was declared a city landmark.

Hofbrauhaus

Although Tramor closed as a cafeteria, the building itself was interesting due to its historical significance and prime downtown location. In 2015, the former Tramor Cafeteria building became the site of the Hofbrauhaus, a German beer hall capitalizing on the large space and unique ambiance. Hofbrauhaus offered a vastly different experience with its German-inspired menu and communal dining atmosphere, yet it preserved some of the building’s architectural charm.

GolfSuites City Club

In 2021, local restaurateur Nuri Erol acquired the former Tramor/Hofbrauhaus site for $7.1 million. In September 2023, it was announced that GolfSuites, Inc., based in Brandon, Florida, signed a lease to bring the first and flagship GolfSuites City Club to the 17,000-square-foot historic Tramor Cafeteria building. The facility would feature hyper-realistic, state-of-the-art golf simulators and a high-end dining experience with a menu featuring scallops, short ribs, prime ribs, and more. It was set to open in the summer of 2024, but that has yet to occur.

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