Six weeks ago the highly anticipated new St. Pete Pier opened for the first time. With it brought a new $92 million, 26-acre pier district which welcomed over 68,000 visitors in the first week. The opening has transformed the downtown waterfront, bringing new energy into an already radiating downtown.

Later this year, at the doorstep of the St. Pete Pier, a new coffee shop will open, which will be perfect place to satiate your pre-pier caffeine cravings.

ParaDeco Coffee Roasters is opening at 111 2nd Avenue Northeast in the Plaza Tower & Courtyard Shops in a space which previously housed Uniquely Yours Boutique. Located adjacent to Sab Café, ParaDeco will be well-situated between Sundial and Beach Drive.

The shop is being launched by Thomas Maloney and Sonya Sarkar, two recent transplants from New York City who quit their corporate desk jobs to move to the Sunshine City in search of paradise.

This search led the couple to name their dream coffee shop ParaDeco, a combination of “paradise” and “art deco” – two themes which will permeate throughout the café.

“We want to provide you with items that are healthy and energizing,” says Maloney. “Anything we can offer you that’ll fuel your day to make you feel like your life is paradise.” Customers will be able to add boosters to their coffee such as MCT oil, ghee, maca powder, and turmeric.

Additionally, ParaDeco will carry a long list of milk and milk alternatives, such as hemp, coconut, oat, almond, walnut, macadamia, and Florida farm milk.

If coffee isn’t your thing, ParaDeco will also serve specialty teas, smoothies, and fresh juices from their in-house orange juicer.

Whether it be picking up an iced coffee before hitting the pier or grabbing a latte before work, ParaDeco will offer a welcoming and relaxing environment where customers can recharge, meet up, get work done, or simply hang out.

From the moment you walk in, ParaDeco will exude a modern tropical vibe and plenty of bright colors. Think Miami’s South Beach. The 1,700 square foot space is wrapped with windows allowing an abundance of natural light. As part of the project, a new entrance will be constructed allowing easy access from 2nd Avenue NE.

The shop will have 37 inside seats along with 18 seats outside. Customers will also have access to the Plaza’s center courtyard which is shared with The Ale and the Witch and Dracula’s Legacy Wine Bar. The courtyard is known for regularly offering live music.

In addition to serving coffee, ParaDeco will also roast it. The team is investing in a Bellwether roaster which is a self-contained, zero-emission coffee roaster that uses an electric heating element to roast the beans. Standard coffee roasting usually requires gas-powered machines with expensive ventilation and exhaust systems due to the carbon and dust emissions.

The Bellwether roaster will allow Maloney and Sarkar to source green coffee beans from smaller “micro” coffee growing families from across the globe. They’re even aiming to prioritize sourcing coffee beans from women-owned farms.

ParaDeco is relying on modern brewing technology, such as robotic pour over machines and high-tech coffee grinders, to ensure their coffee will have the same great taste it had the last time you were in.

“It’s really important that our coffee is as consistent as possible,” says Maloney. “We don’t want to serve incredible coffee on Friday and bitter, weak coffee on Saturday.”

ParaDeco will also serve a variety of baked goods from local bakeries to snack on, including vegan and gluten-free treats. The food menu will feature items such as overnight cold oats, avocado toast, grab and go wraps, and breakfast sandwiches.

“We absolutely love St. Pete,” says Maloney. “Between having friends tell us about St. Pete, finding St. Pete in Inc Magazine’s best small cities to own a business, and meeting St. Pete residents at a coffee convention in New York, there have been so many signs pointing us to the Sunshine City and we cannot wait to open our doors and serve the people.”

While Maloney and Sarkar are new to St. Pete, they’re working with a team of locals to accomplish their dream. Hype Group created all of the cafe’s branding while Place Architecture and Boyd Construction are handling the construction. In lease negotiations they were represented by Jake Wollman of KW Commercial while Judy Healy represented the landlord.

“We are excited to see Thomas and Sonya's vision come to life,” says Wollman. “This project has the potential to change the orientation of the building and be a true welcoming space for the office tenants of the Plaza building as well as those enjoying the beautiful new St Pete Pier.”

Demolition of the interior space and build out is expected to begin in the middle of September. And, so long as permitting goes as planned, an opening is slated for late fall.

Be sure to follow ParaDeco Coffee Roasters on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on their progress as they more closer to opening. For more information or for employment opportunities email info@paradecocoffeeroasters.com.