Back in 2016, Joshua and Sarah Weaver opened Bandit Coffee Co inside of a former Porter’s Paints store at 2662 Central Avenue with the goal of fostering community through coffee. Since then, the perfectly curated and minimalistic coffeeshop has become a beloved St. Pete staple for locals and visitors alike.

The coffee menu has always been easy to understand, whether you’re a coffee aficionado or casual drinker. You can get a hot coffee, cold brew coffee, espresso, espresso + milk, a mocha, and a vanilla latte. You won’t find any frappe-cappu-mocha-latte-chinos.

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. 

In early December, 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.