For our new Community series, we’re asking our coffee shop partners to answer our Official Odeko Partner Questionnaire, to help everyone get to know these delightful folks and their shops. We heart our partners, and we think you will, too.
Today we’ve got Kahwa Coffee co-owners Sarah and Raphael Perrier. The Perriers headed down to St. Petersburg, Florida and found, to their chagrin, that there weren’t any local roasters. So in 2006 they started up Kahwa. Two years later, they not only opened their first cafe, they hit it big when Chef Paul Bocuse selected them as the official roasters of his Epcot restaurant Chefs de France.
But hitting it big hasn’t gone to the Perriers’ heads. They’re still dedicated to roasting the finest beans and providing a welcoming environment to their dedicated customers—even amidst a pandemic.
Raphael had worked in coffee for many years and we actually met at a cafe when he was a barista there! When we moved to St. Petersburg we saw there were no local roasters or local coffee shops to bring the community together so we decided it was the perfect fit.
As we have grown from one shop to 15 over the last 12 years, we have been able to be a part of all the communities we serve. Giving back to our communities is just a part of the way we do business. Our cafes not only bring consistently amazing coffee but a place where everyone is welcome.
It’s a mixture of speed and a sixth sense (or maybe they have eyes in the back of their head!). They can see their regulars coming a mile away or even just pulling into line at the drive thru and have their order ready before they reach the counter—and they always seem to do it with a smile!
We have the most amazing customers, many who have been loyal customers since we opened our first shop in 2008. Many have become friends and their energy is what keeps us going every day to bring them the best experience we can.
Kahwa Coffee Roaster is ready for the Super BowlAfter a challenging year of pivoting the business to roll with the punches delivered by the global Pandemic, economic shutdown and everything else that’s come along in 2020, Kahwa is thrilled to be finding a silver lining in Tampa Bay’s sports success– A World Series. A Stanley Cup. And now, The Super Bowl!
Community – Cowabunga Coffee RoastersCowabunga Coffee Roasters not only has fantastic cold brew on tap, every espresso drink you could ask for, and an impressive selection of specialty pour over coffees, but all this right on the water with incredible views of NYC.
Granola LabWhen we found out that a Brooklyn-based, small batch, handcrafted granola company was making granola with ground coffee and organic dark chocolate – we had to learn more!