Evangeline’s Cafe to serve specialty coffee from a converted Japanese mini truck in St. Pete
/Evangeline’s Cafe will operate out of a kei truck, an ultra-compact, Japanese-built mini pickup truck | Evangeline’s Cafe
A Japanese mini truck is being transformed into a mobile café that will soon serve specialty coffee around St. Pete.
Evangeline’s Cafe is expected to debut later this summer, serving espresso drinks, matcha, chai, and more from the bed of a converted kei truck.
Owner Evangeline Fox plans to take the mobile café to local markets, concerts, art shows, and other events throughout St. Pete.
Fox, 25, moved from Maryland in 2019 to attend Eckerd College. While studying there, she became immersed in the local hospitality scene and developed an appreciation for the city’s independent coffee shops.
That sense of community is what eventually pushed her to start a café of her own.
“My friends and I would go to local coffee shops all the time, and I just saw how naturally a community could form around something as simple as a cup of coffee,” Fox said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “For me, it’s all about how coffee can connect people.”
Owner of Evangeline’s Cafe, Evangeline Fox | Photo provided
Over the past few years, Fox has worked at a number of local coffee shops and said the experience has helped her realize she wanted to build something more personal.
“I think a part of me started this company as a kind of a rebellion to the cookie-cutter, corporate-type cafés,” Fox said. “What I love about St. Pete is everybody here is very local, and I really, really want to hone in on that kind of energy.”
Fox is now wrapping up the truck’s buildout. The setup will include countertops, storage, water tanks and a colorful awning over the bed.
A VV Flat Izzo espresso machine will sit in the bed of the kei truck.
Three stools will face the espresso machine from the other side, giving Fox a chance to chat with customers while she makes their drinks.
She may also add a few tables and chairs next to the truck to give each pop-up more of an outdoor café feel.
Fox is still deciding which local roaster will supply her coffee beans, but the menu will include espresso-based drinks, matcha, chai and homemade lemonade.
Specialty lattes made with housemade syrups will be named after friends and family members.
Concept art for Evangeline’s Cafe | Photo provided
The kei truck is also a nod to Fox’s childhood. She describes herself as a military kid who lived in several different cities growing up, including Japan.
“The coolest place I ever got to live was Japan,” Fox said. “The converted truck kind of pays homage to my experience there and the nomadic lifestyle I had as a kid.”
In addition to drinks, Fox hopes to team up with other St. Pete small businesses to offer pastries and other treats.
“The fun part about working in St. Pete is that I’ve met so many different characters and possible collaborators,” Fox said. “When I start selling food, I’d like to work with a local baker to showcase their pastries.”
Once it opens, Evangeline’s Cafe will be available for catering in addition to its regular pop-ups around St. Pete.
Follow Evangeline’s Cafe on Instagram for opening updates and upcoming pop-up locations.
