St. Pete coffee company gears up for new era of franchise operations

Kahwa Coffee Roasters, St. Petersburg’s homegrown answer to Starbucks, has at long last taken steps to franchise its brand. Founded in 2006, Kahwa has 15 corporate-owned locations, and awareness of its brand has grown statewise thanks to wholesale partnerships with the likes of Publix, Mercedes Benz, Bayfront Hospital, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Kahwa co-founder Raphael Perrier says Kahwa has been ready to begin franchise operations for about five years but wanted to wait until there was no doubt that Kahwa was “a proven concept.” He adds, “15 years into this, with 15 shops, we feel that now is the right time.”