Beans and Barlour barista, Cynnamon Thomas smokes wood chips while preparing one of the shop’s signature drinks, The Campfire Story. Ambria Whalum | The Crow’s Nest
By Amy Diaz
Story Stuart was on track for medical school with a major in molecular microbiology when she decided business management was her real passion.
This discovery led to her sweetest business endeavor yet.
Open for just a month now, Beans & Barlour, 538 first Ave. N, has already become the talk of the town, known for its alcohol-infused ice cream and craft coffee.
Stuart, 26, started the coffee bar and dessert lounge with her boyfriend, Steve Bliven, 25, who owned his own gelato shop when he was 18.
“We’re both very passionate about businesses and keeping a classic quality product but also being innovational with it,” Stuart said. “When we had the idea for Beans & Barlour, we knew it would be perfect for St. Pete.”
Stuart cited the potential for collaboration as one of the big drawing factors of this city.
“Our biggest collaboration right now is with St. Pete Brewing Company. We partner with them in a lot of the things that we do,” Stuart said. “We serve our food menu to their guests, and they in turn serve their beer menu to our guests.”
It’s an ideal partnership — the two are next-door neighbors.
“We have a St. Pete Car Bomb which is our Irish whiskey cream ice cream, and then we get a side of a stout from next door and pour it on top like a rootbeer float,” barlour tender Cynamon Thomas said.
Beans & Barlour was initially set to be a second location for Stuart’s coffee shop in south St. Petersburg, Story Brooke Craft Coffee Bar, which she opened early last year. Due to issues with crime, she decided to close that location without leaving the menu behind.
“We’ve kept a lot of our classic drinks like the Campfire Story and the Crème Brulee Cappuccino, but now we’re able to add a little something extra,” Stuart said. “If you want to add a shot of something like Irish cream or whiskey or coffee liqueur that we make in house, we’re able to do that now.”
The recipes are elaborate and unique, combining artistic techniques with interesting ingredients.
The Campfire Story, for example, uses a glass that has first been filled with the smoke of torched hickory wood chips.
“As you drink it you can smell the smoke and you can experience being around a campfire, but it’s coffee,” Stuart explained. “That’s what we’re most passionate about. Creating an experience that you’re familiar with and then transforming it into a new experience. Like making a cocktail but serving it as an ice cream.”
Customers have the choice for their treats and drinks to be alcoholic or not. They also have a section of the menu that caters to plant-based eaters.
“We have six non-dairy options, and we don’t charge extra for them,” Thomas said. “Even one of our boozy scoops, the Avocado Margarita, is vegan. Our Strawberry Daiquiri Float and the Dole Whip Float are vegan too.”
You can take comfort in knowing exactly what you’re eating and drinking because everything from the chai and syrup, to the infused spirits and ice cream is made from scratch.
The clientele for the restaurant includes families coming to enjoy non-alcoholic ice cream, friends and couples craving dessert, drinks and occasional live music, and students looking for good coffee to get them through a study session.
A strip of electrical outlets under the bar counter and a back room that is equipped with a community table and sofa make the shop an ideal study spot.
“We’re open until midnight on weekends and 10 p.m. on weekdays, so even if you were coming to study and not partake in cocktails or alcoholic ice cream, it’s a cool place to hang out,” Stuart said.
The dreamy decor, including an old-fashioned espresso machine imported from Italy — lovingly named Carmen Elektra — combined with the sounds of grinding coffee, and hints of lavender and chocolate in the air, gives the shop a distinct fantastical charm.
“I have so much fun making everything here,” Thomas said. “It’s whimsical. It’s magic.”
