Kahwa Coffee opens new location in Belleair Bluffs

Kahwa Coffee reached a new milestone in July by opening its 10th location in the Tampa Bay area.
 
The 1,200-square-foot shop sits at 2919 W. Bay Drive in Belleair Bluffs. It's in a shopping center anchored by a Bonefish Grill. The space was formerly a nutrition store.
 
“We are very excited,” says Raphael Perrier, who owns the business with his wife, Sarah.
 
Perrier says the couple invested $100,000 into the new location to purchase the building and remodel it.
 
"We found that we had a lot of demand in the Belleair area," Perrier says. "I love the crowd over there. I think it's exactly what Kahwa needs."
 
Kahwa Coffee has been growing ever since the business launched in St. Petersburg in 2006. There are now multiple locations in St. Pete and Tampa, as well as shops in Westchase and Sarasota.
 
Perrier attributes the company's success to the quality of their products, their level of service, and their involvement in local fundraisers.
 
"I think we became a better Starbucks and people just enjoy the fact that we’re local," he says. "Plus, I think we don’t take ourselves too seriously and people like that."
 
You can also find Kahwa products in 27 Winn-Dixie locations in Florida, and in restaurants and other places throughout the Tampa Bay community.
 
“We have a lot of wholesale customers that sell our coffee,” Perrier says.
 
In December, HSN brought Kahwa to the national market. Perrier says Kahwa has appeared live on the network four times and has been presenting products about every month and a half.
 
July 20th was a soft opening for the Belleair Bluffs location, and Perrier says a grand opening will probably happen in two or three weeks, although he hasn't set an exact date. He says there will likely be coffee giveaways and visits from community leaders during the celebration.
 
In the future, Perrier says the company is looking into franchising opportunities and will continue to enjoy their journey in the coffee business.
 
“We’re a wife and husband running the show and having fun,” he says.
 
For more information about Kahwa Coffee, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.