Imagine getting a perfect cup of coffee before taking the elevator up to your office. And then once the clock strikes five, heading downstairs to enjoy happy hour with your coworkers. Those who work inside the Tampa Bay Times building in Downtown St Pete won’t need to imagine any longer. 

Next week, The Blend: Coffee & Wine will open at 490 First Avenue South, inside the lobby of the Tampa Bay Times building.

The Blend is being launched by Stacha Madsen, who is no novice to the coffee industry, and her daughter Nichole McVicar. Madsen began her career years ago in her hometown of Seattle, Washington, where she owned multiple coffee shops, also called The Blend, in one of the nation’s coffee capitals. 

Although it’s located in an office building, Madsen doesn’t want The Blend to feel too corporate. “I want people to be able to walk in wearing flip flops or a suit jacket,” says Madsen.

The new shop, which is open to the public, is approximately 1,800 square feet, enough room for around 40 customers. Outdoor patio seating will also be available.

As for the look and feel of The Blend, Madsen tapped local artist Leo Gomez to help portray the brand’s new local vibe. He will also hand-paint the menu board and a feature wall. “Leo did an incredible job,” says Madsen. “I couldn’t be happier with how everything has turned out.”

Justin Redden at DJR Graphics will also be bringing in some local history with a custom mural above the bar depicting old St. Petersburg using photos provided by the St Petersburg Museum of History.

The Blend will serve Madsen’s own blend of coffee. It’s a mix of coffee beans from Nicaragua, Peru, and Brazil that Madsen developed years ago in partnership with Urban City Coffee Roasters in Seattle.

Along with the standard coffee menu offerings, such as shots of espresso, lattes, and cold brew, Madsen also wants to introduce St Pete to coffee trends that haven’t yet made it to the Sunshine City. For example, The Blend will serve ‘white coffee’, where the beans are lightly roasted at a lower-than-normal temperature. The flavor profile is different than traditional coffee and has more caffeine. The Blend will also offer sparkling coffee and a variety of specialty drinks such as Madsen’s signature white chocolate mocha and caramel sauce latte.

As for non-coffee beverages, locally-made kombucha by Mother Kombucha and a sparkling probiotic by Sunny Culture will be on tap. Beer and wine will eventually be served.

Feeling hungry? Along with pastries, cookies and coffee shop-style breakfast items, The Blend will offer upscale shareable plates. Grab-and-go lunchs and mini cupcakes provided by Leslie Ciccone of Swah-Rey will also be available.

So what brought Stacha Madsen, a native Seattlite, to St Petersburg? 

For Madsen, coffee was her destiny. While trying to find a way out of her boring accounting business, she came upon an incredible opportunity. “Someone was building a coffee stand and didn’t want it, so I decided to give it a shot,” says Madsen.

The first few years were trial by fire. But over time, she grew a loyal customer base. And despite fierce competition, Madsen found success, which paved the way for additional shops.

However, there was trouble in paradise. Madsen wasn’t happy in Seattle. “I needed to push the reset button and go somewhere else,” she explains. The rainy, overcast weather of Washington eventually brought Madsen to search on Google, “What is the sunniest place in the United States?” And guess what city she discovered? St. Petersburg, FL, holder of the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive days of sunshine. With an average of 361 days of sunshine each year, Madsen’s interest in St. Pete was piqued.

Coincidentally, after sharing her desire to leave town, a few friends suggested she look into St Pete! This is where the idea of living in St. Pete came full circle. So in April 2018, she bought a plane ticket, rented a car, and started exploring the Sunshine City.

“I’ve never been somewhere that felt like home until I came to St. Pete,” said Madsen. “I can’t even explain it. When friends want to come visit, I tell them to just pack their bags because you aren’t going to want to leave!”

Madsen immediately fell in love with St Petersburg and bought a bungalow in one of St. Pete’s historic neighborhoods. Since moving here, she’s fully embraced the walkability and livability of the city. 

Once The Blend opens at 490 1st Avenue South next week, Madsen will shift her focus to the shop’s second outpost to be located at 1211 Fourth Street North, which she hopes to open in January or February.

At the end of the day, Madsen simply wants to provide a welcoming environment for everyone in St. Pete. “My dream is to inspire community in my coffee shops,” she says.

The Blend’s first location will be open from 7AM until 7PM, serving fresh coffee from open to close. Beer and wine will be coming at a later date. Be sure to stay up to date on all things The Blend by following on Instagram and Facebook.