Whether you first discovered Kermit’s on a trip to Key West, had one of their famous pies shipped to your door, or are just now meeting the brand for the first time, there is something instantly memorable about a place built around one of Florida’s most iconic flavors. And now, St. Augustine has a slice of that story for itself because Kermit’s Key Lime Shop has officially opened its doors right here on St. George Street.
The shop opened on Saturday, May 9th, and the famous Kermit himself was on hand to welcome St. Augustine to the family. For a city that loves its food scene, this is a genuinely exciting addition, not a chain, not a generic souvenir stop, but a beloved Florida institution with a personality all its own.
Kermit’s story began more than 30 years ago in Key West, where Kermit Carpenter was selling smoothies from a small stand in front of Papa’s Restaurant while working as the restaurant’s bookkeeper. When a sudden change at the restaurant left him looking for a new adventure, Kermit, along with his sister Anita and her husband John, began dreaming up a business that would feel unmistakably Key West. The idea had to be high quality, memorable, and rooted in the flavor of the islands. Gourmet food and key lime were the answer.
From there, Kermit’s Key Lime Shop was born.
The original shop opened on the corner of Elizabeth and Greene Streets in Key West, a location that came with both promise and, admittedly, a few quirks. It sat near the Key West bight, a waterfront area the city had big plans to develop, but it was also located across from a sewage pumping station. Kermit and his family believed that if they could hold on through the early years, the area would eventually become one of the most desirable spots in town. They were right.
Before the doors even opened, Kermit and Anita took a road trip to Maryland to visit their parents. During the long drive, they started making a list of every possible product they could imagine with key lime in it. That list became the blueprint for what Kermit’s would eventually become: not just a place to buy pie, but a full-on key lime experience.
Today, Kermit’s has built its reputation on one thing done exceptionally well: key lime, in every form imaginable. The handcrafted key lime pie remains the star, but the shop is perhaps best known for its iconic key lime pie on a stick, dipped in rich Belgian-style chocolate. It is part dessert, part souvenir, and part Florida rite of passage.
The product line has grown far beyond pie. Visitors can find key lime cookies, fudge, candy, sauces, juices, marinades, salsa, jellies, cake, ice cream, and other sweet and savory treats. If it can be made with key lime, Kermit’s has probably figured out how to make it irresistible. It is the kind of shop where you walk in for one thing and walk out with both arms full, and zero regrets about it.
As the brand grew, so did its footprint. By 2003, Kermit’s was bursting at the seams in Key West, especially as online orders and wholesale demand increased. That growth led to the opening of a 12,000-square-foot production facility and showroom in DeLand, giving the company room for a larger kitchen, warehouse space, shipping operations, and a team dedicated to keeping the key lime goodness moving across Florida and beyond.
In 2011, Kermit’s expanded again with a location on Duval Street, giving even more Key West visitors the chance to grab a slice, a gift, or the now-famous chocolate-dipped pie on a stick. Like so many Florida businesses, Kermit’s also faced the uncertainty of 2020, when the pandemic temporarily shuttered Key West to non-residents. The company leaned on its online store and loyal customers, proving that even when people could not get to Key West, they still wanted Key West delivered to their door.
In 2023, Kermit’s celebrated its 30th anniversary with a refreshed flagship location on Elizabeth Street and a slightly simplified name: Kermit’s Key Lime Shop. The refresh marked not only a milestone, but a continued commitment to the playful, tart, sweet, unmistakably Florida flavor that made the brand famous in the first place.
And that flavor matters here, because key lime is more than just a dessert ingredient in Florida. It is part of the state’s culinary identity.
Key limes were once closely associated with the Florida Keys, where the small, aromatic citrus fruit became prized for its bright, tart flavor. Before modern refrigeration was common, ingredients like sweetened condensed milk were useful in island kitchens, and key lime pie became a natural fit: simple, tropical, and deeply tied to place. Over time, the dessert became one of Florida’s most recognizable foods, so beloved that in 2006, key lime pie was officially named the state pie.
Its fame comes from more than flavor. Key lime pie tastes like vacation. It tastes like salt air, sunshine, road trips, waterfront restaurants, and that first bite of something cool and tart after a hot Florida day. It is sweet, but not too sweet; rich, but still refreshing. It is one of those rare foods that can feel nostalgic even the first time you try it.
That is why Kermit’s feels like such a natural fit for St. Augustine.
138 St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 – www.kermitskeylime.com
