Couches from Hotel Liquidation, hand-painted tables and warm-toned walls invite residents and patrons of the Kenwood neighborhood and the Grand Central District to Community Café.
Since its soft opening a few weeks ago, the café has already established itself as a new neighborhood hangout.
“Working the front and speaking with everyone, we had a bunch of people from different ages,” said Jason Kiger, an employee at the café. “In two days, I’ve seen so much of the community.”
Two years of development meetings, an Indiegogo fundraiser and a painting party contributed to the opening of Community Café at 2444 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District.
Café owner Mandy Keyes, 30, missed the familiar and friendly atmosphere of downtown’s Globe Coffee Lounge, which used to be on First Avenue N. in downtown. When Globe owner JoEllen Schilke closed the café’s doors two years ago, Keyes took it upon herself to create a new sustainable, community-driven café.
“We have a very collaborative environment here,” Keyes said. Patrons can purchase memberships with the café to receive free coffee and discounted food purchases. Customers can also suggest new menu items and vote for the ones they want to see most.
To help fund her idea, Keyes created a campaign on Indiegogo, an online crowdfunding platform, that offered rewards to supporters of the café. With a goal of $5,000, Keyes promised rewards ranging from stickers to memberships to those who helped fund the café. She met her goal at $5,050.
With the Community Cafe’s opening, late night food options are no longer limited to burritos, Keyes said. She wanted to add variety to the area, while finding a balance with nearby boutiques and cafés along Central Avenue.
“The Grand Central District is a perfect fit for us,” Keyes said. “A lot of artists, a lot of community-minded people. It’s probably the best we probably could have hoped for.”
The menu offers homemade, fresh varieties, including black bean hummus, rosemary potato wedges and portobello quesadillas. Paninis, bacon melts and contrasting vegan options provide customers with fresh options with every visit.
“We are confident that when we combine the ideas and enthusiasm of our community, amazing things will result,” Keyes wrote on the Indiegogo page. “We will grow with each other and cultivate a space full of love and laughter.”
Groups flock in for study sessions on laptops, beers and chats about mutual friends. Some patrons stick around for as long as three hours, Kiger said.
“A lot of people mentioned they were looking for a place like this,” Kiger said. “They mentioned that they felt like they should buy their coffee and leave (elsewhere). At the Community Café, you can sit down, we have nice couches.”
The Community Café is open 11 a.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Welcome a new neighbor: Community Café’s grand opening will be from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 10, with live music provided by Geri X and Jun Bustamante. The event is free and open to everyone.
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