Photo courtesy of Lindsey Williams
By Reagan Haskell
At the end of Aug. 2026, The Campus Grind was officially purchased by a former University of South Florida employee and her husband.
The café, which is a short walk from the USF St. Petersburg campus, was known for its wide selection of food and drinks and its welcoming atmosphere. The Grind became a study location, a hang out spot and a place people went when in dire need of a pick-me up.
Jourdynn Jourdain is a senior at USF St. Pete and a regular at The Campus Grind. Jourdain describes the café as a calm and relaxing environment.
“I like that there’s not a bunch of bright lights in there,” said Jourdain. “It’s a perfect balance of open but not dark and gloomy.”
After the previous owner of The Grind decided to pursue something different, Lindsey Williams and Scott Williams stepped in.
Scott is an experienced entrepreneur who owns multiple local businesses, including a lawn service. He has also worked in restaurants throughout his life and knows the industry well. Lindsey Williams is an avid coffee drinker and USF alumni. Together, they run The Campus Grind.
Before the purchase, Lindsey Williams worked on the USF Tampa campus for 15 years as an instructor and advisor for the College of Education. But, when USF began to alter her department, she was left without a job.
This sudden change in her life allowed Lindsey Williams to take a step back and figure out what she wanted to do. The idea of owning a business was brought to her attention, and evidently, she ran with the idea.
When Lindsey Williams found The Campus Grind, she knew it was the right fit.
“It was kind of like that perfect blend of being able to retain what I loved so much about working on or near a college campus, but also a totally different environment,” said Lindsey Williams.
Their plans for the business vary from the menu to interior design. But rather than a complete change, they wish to add minor things.
For instance, the previous owner of The Grind typically released festive drinks for each season of the year. According to Lindsey Williams, she wishes to continue the tradition with a twist.
“We’ve talked about something like specials for not only fall or winter, but even for Halloween,” said Lindsey Williams.
She also explained that a lot of the items on the menu are from previous or current employees, so they want to keep it at The Grind.
The employees at The Grind are also something Scott and Lindsey Williams kept the same. Emma Blixer and Lindsay Killam were employees before it was purchased, and the café retained the baristas through the sale.
According to Lindsey Williams, she is very lucky to have Blixer and Killam. Lindsey Williams told The Crow’s Nest that prior to owning the café, she had the same coffee order for 10 years. It was because of Blixer and Killam that Lindsey Williams began to try new drinks.
“They are top notches at recommending drinks for people who aren’t sure what they want,” said Lindsey Williams. “I asked them what happens if they recommend a drink and someone ends up not liking it, and they told me it doesn’t happen.”
Lindsey Williams also said that The Grind would be open to hiring USF students in the future.
A new idea for the menu they want to focus on are ‘grab-and-go’ protein boxes, designed for students who are in the midst of going to class or people going to work. The idea came to Lindsey Williams when she was a teacher, and she would see students come to class with coffee and food.
“It’s [protein boxes] for if you don’t have time or if you live on campus and don’t have the ability to cook for yourself,” said Linsdey.
The Grind usually closes for a few weeks in Dec. because of winter break at USF. When it does, Lindsey and Scott Williams plan on making adjustments to the physical appearance of the café.
“The neat thing about different business owners taking on new things is you get to put your own spin on it, but keeping the bones the same,” said Lindsey Williams.
Once students come back for the new semester, they plan on having a reopening.
About a month and a half into their ownership, Lindsey Williams is enjoying what she does. Her personal goal when taking on The Campus Grind was to talk with new people each day.
“I love just talking to people and hearing about their day,” said Lindsey Williams. “It’s what I did before, but just in a different way.”
She said their purpose at The Grind is to create a space where people can come to get a delicious beverage or healthy snack and feel at home.
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