New Kahwa Coffee shop opens in bookstore, replaces Starbucks

The Kahwa Coffee shop is known for its blended coffee roasts and has 15 retail locations, according to their website. ORACLE PHOTO/CAMILA GOMEZ

A new location for the locally-owned Kahwa Coffee opened inside of the Tampa campus bookstore on Aug. 14, replacing the former Starbucks.

The company was founded in 2006 by Florida locals Sarah and Raphael Perrier. Kahwa Coffee’s first retail cafe location was in downtown St. Pete. Now, the cafe has 15 different locations in Florida, including one at USF’s St. Pete campus. 

Unlike the St. Pete campus store, the one opened on the Tampa campus has yet to make the location and “Order Ahead” feature available on their website. The feature allows people to order online and preview hot drinks, iced drinks, Kahwa creations, pastries and hot breakfast items, according to the company’s website. 

Kahwa creations are specialty drinks such as lemonades, iced teas, espresso tonics and Italian soda-inspired drinks called “fizz.” Size options for drinks are small and large with prices ranging from $3-5. While Starbucks has more options for sizes and drinks, the prices vary from $4-8. 

Students can order hot breakfast items including quiche and croissant sandwiches. Kahwa’s pastries cost around $2-6, while the cost of coffee and espresso drinks depends on how someone chooses to modify or add to their drink. 

The founders said their main vision when developing the brand was to compete with Starbucks, even if it is an ambitious goal, according to a media release.

Starbucks still has locations on the first floor of the library and at Pinnacle residence hall. 

Julia Saad, Staff Writer

Julia Saad started as a news correspondent in fall 2022. During Saad's tenure at The Oracle, she has covered a variety of news. However, Saad's favorite topic to cover is being able to place readers in the ambient environments of USF events.

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