The Tramor Cafeteria is pictured above in an old postcard (left) and in 2002.

Historic Tramor Cafeteria
St. Petersburg, Florida

It's easy to notice the people who visit the Tramor Cafeteria in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the first time.

They walk in, look up at the amazing blue sky ceiling and mouth the word, “Wow!”

The historic Tramor Cafeteria even has its own Coat of Arms, which hangs on one of the walls.

Located on the southwest corner of Second Avenue and Fourth Street South in downtown St. Petersburg, the historic Tramor Cafeteria has been amazing and feeding people since before World War II. The cafeteria is now owned by the St. Petersburg Times newspaper, which uses it as an employee cafeteria. The public also is allowed to eat in the cafeteria.

The inside of the Tramor is an architectural marvel, highlighted by a blue ceiling, which is painted with white clouds to simulate a sunny day in Florida. Other architectural highlights include prominent staircases, a balcony that goes around the entire building, etched glass, and a rather prominent, odd looking star-shaped light fixture that sits in the middle of the floor, shooting towards the ceiling.

Rumor has it that the local power company built the light fixture as a signature showpiece decades ago.

The origin of the cafeteria is as rich as its architecture. Originally called Bob’s Cafeteria, the building was bought by the Haige brothers in 1937. Those Swedish brothers – Enar, Henry, Allan and Lander – all had a part in running the cafeteria throughout much of its post-1937 history.

A 1991 St. Petersburg Times obituary retold the story Enar Haige gave about how he and his brother Lander came up with the name “Tramor.”

“We thought and thought and came up with (Tramor) to make it sound like ‘more on the tray,’ ” he said. “Atlantic City had a Traymor but we left off the ‘y.’ Y’s cost more in advertising. The tail goes into another line. We had to be careful of costs.”

Over the years, the Haige brothers used a number of gimmicks to get people to eat there. In one instance, they gave away lottery tickets, with the prize being a $30 or $40 plane ticket to Cuba. According to the St. Petersburg Times, Landar Haige once recalled hiring an actor of sorts to stand in the checkout line:

“We had a ‘mechanical man,’ too, a fellow who would stand by the cashier’s counter for hours, stiff, just like a dummy,” Lander is quoted as saying. “If you could make him laugh, you got a free meal.”

If you scroll down, you'll see the photos I took inside the Tramor. Each photo also can be used as computer wallpaper. You'll notice that with two of the photos, I also offer 360-degree "moving" IPIX shots. This is where you can view a 360-degree image of the inside of the Tramor, "controlling" the movement of the camera as you drag your mouse.

About the photos & wallpaper: All of the photos on this page were taken by me. Feel free to use them for personal use. (If you use them on another Website, I'd appreciate a credit line and a link back to this site.) 

Don't Know How To Use Wallpaper? Don't worry. There are simple, 2-step directions when you click on the wallpaper links.
 

	Here's the famous light in the middle of the cafeteria. This shot is taken from the ground, looking up towards the famous ceiling.	Wallpaper See the 360-Degree IPIX
	The ceiling is shown through a triple-arch area of the second floor.	Wallpaper
	Here is a general shot taken from the second floor.	Wallpaper See The 360-Degree IPIX
	On the east side of the Tramor Cafeteria is a archaeological feast for the eyes, including arched windows and doorways, as well as hanging artfully styled lights.	Wallpaper
	I love this shot. You can see the famous "cloud ceiling" framed by a plant hanging on a wrought iron holder.	Wallpaper