Buddy Brew crosses the bay with first Pinellas County cafe

Buddy Brew Coffee is crossing the bay for the first time, opening a cafe Friday inside the Sprouts Farmers Market in Seminole.

The cafe, at 7263 Seminole Blvd., will be the Tampa-based coffee company’s first Pinellas County location. It is also the fourth of 10 Buddy Brew cafes planned for Sprouts stores across the Tampa Bay area this summer.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Friday with Seminole Mayor Leslie Waters and executives from Buddy Brew and Sprouts. The cafe will open to customers at 10 a.m.

“Opening our first café in Pinellas County is an exciting milestone for Buddy Brew,” CEO Dave Ward says in a release. “Tampa Bay has been our home since the beginning, and we’ve wanted to bring Buddy Brew across the bay for a long time.”

The grand-opening celebration will include $3 summer specialty drinks, a live DJ, giveaways and photo opportunities. The first 25 customers in line will receive gift bags containing Buddy Brew merchandise, gift cards and other items. One customer will win free coffee for a year.

The Seminole cafe will offer the company’s full menu, including espresso drinks, cold brew, matcha, smoothies, pastries, seasonal beverages and breakfast and lunch items.

Buddy Brew operates cafes across Florida and has a Tampa roastery and cold-brew production facility. The company, known for its “Brew Good. Do Good.” motto, also distributes its coffee nationwide.