An artisan sourdough bakery is trading its 500-square-foot South Tampa shop for a space eight times larger on U.S. 41 in Lutz.

State Flour Bakery owners Alex Marsilio and Alex Flannery plan to open at 18450 U.S. 41 in January 2027. The 4,000-square-foot building most recently housed Black Sheep American Pub, Tampa Bay Beacons first reported. The pair got the keys in mid-September.

The move brings more than bread. Marsilio and Flannery plan to add a full bar, weekend brunch with plated dishes and a menu of soups, salads and sandwiches built on their house-baked loaves. The owners told the Beacons they are considering splitting the space in two: bakery on one side, bar and coffee bar on the other.

"We've been dying to make sandwiches on our bread for a while," Flannery said.

Evening hours with bar bites could follow once brunch is established, Flannery said.

The bakery started inside Pro Kitchen Hub, a shared commercial kitchen in South Tampa, where Marsilio and Flannery rented space and sold from a pop-up window. They expanded next door to a storefront on South Dale Mabry Highway in 2023 but have run out of room to grow, according to Flannery.

Marsilio said the Lutz location allows for "much bigger production." The former Black Sheep space had more than 100 seats, he said, though the owners are considering a different layout.

Both are Tampa hospitality veterans. They met in 2003 on the opening crew for Splitsville in Channelside. Marsilio spent five years managing bar and beverage programs at the Epicurean Hotel. Flannery worked as a pastry chef at Bern's Steak House and the former SideBern's and spent more than a decade as a chef on private yachts. They launched State Flour together in 2022.

The bakery is known for naturally fermented sourdough, pistachio and chocolate croissants and kouign-amann. Marsilio said there are not many bakeries near the new Lutz location.

South Tampa customers will not lose access entirely. The owners said they plan to keep a smaller retail shop in the area, supplied by the Lutz commissary. Flannery said the commissary model could eventually support additional storefronts in other neighborhoods.

Holiday preorders for Thanksgiving and Christmas pies and breads will be available for pickup at the South Tampa location in November and December before the January 2027 move.