Kahwa Coffee to open downtown

Coffee has always been a big part of Raphael Perrier's life. From drinking locally made coffee as a teenager in France to working as a barista in Philadelphia after college, he says once he got a taste of the business, he was hooked. His line of work even introduced him to his wife, Sarah, whom he met in the café where he worked.

"I didn't even drink coffee before we met," she says. "But spending time together, I developed a taste for it, and I grew to love it."

Since then, the two have turned their shared passion into Kahwa Coffee, a growing chain of St. Petersburg-based coffee shops that have earned a loyal following in the Tampa Bay area. Soon, Sarasotans will have the chance to try the brand at its new downtown location, tentatively scheduled to open late this September.

"We've been hoping to expand to Sarasota for a long time now, says Raphael Perrier. "This is long overdue for us. The timing was perfect and the location was a great fit. There's a lot of demand for coffee downtown, so we're excited to introduce Kahwa."

The 1,200 square-foot retail space, located in the front of the Urbanite Theatre building at 1487 Second St., will serve Kahwa's signature coffee, a blend of four different beans, as well as pastries, muffins, breakfast sandwiches and other small food items and will employ about seven workers.

Sarah Perrier says that in addition to the blend coffee, Kahwa is unique in its customer experience.

"We have a very welcoming community atmosphere," she says. "People can feel intimidated in coffee shops, but we're not snobby, and our employees want to help customers feel comfortable and find a coffee they love. "

The couple is currently remodeling the space, and they say they're excited about the expansion.

"We see a lot of growth in Sarasota," says Raphael Perrier. "It reminds me of St. Petersburg when we first moved there. There are a lot of great things happening there. We love Sarasota, and we want to become part of that community."