The Blend closes flagship coffee shop on 4th Street North after six years
/The Blend Coffee & Cocktails has quietly closed its flagship cafe at 1211 4th Street North after six years in business.
“The Blend Coffee has made the difficult decision to consolidate its St. Petersburg operations, which means its original Old Northeast location will be closing,” owner Stacha Madsen told St. Pete Rising. “While it’s always tough to see a neighborhood favorite leave a space that holds so many memories, this isn’t goodbye.”
Madsen said The Blend isn’t leaving St. Pete. The company will continue serving the community from its Magnolia Heights cafe at 3001 16th Street North and its drive-thru at 2760 34th Street North.
The Blend’s locations in Pinellas Park, Tampa, and Palmetto also remain open.
Madsen and her daughter, Nichole Richardson, opened their first local cafe inside the Tampa Bay Times building at 490 1st Avenue South in downtown St. Pete in December 2019 after relocating from Seattle.
The 4th Street North cafe followed in early 2020 and became one of The Blend’s most prominent locations.
The company expanded rapidly over the next several years, opening cafes across the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
The local coffee chain is best known for its seasonal coffee flights, which allow customers to sample several flavored lattes. Its summer lineup includes vanilla rose, white pineapple, mocha colada, and salted toffee.
The menu also features wine-based cocktails, smoothies, and breakfast sandwiches.
The Blend uses a signature espresso blend made with beans from Brazil, Nicaragua, and Peru and roasted by a wholesale roaster in Madsen’s hometown of Seattle. It also serves white espresso, which the company describes as having a lighter, nuttier flavor and more caffeine than traditional espresso.
Last November, The Blend filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a process that allows businesses to continue operating while reorganizing their debts.
Over the past few months, the company has closed its drive-thru near Central Avenue and Pasadena Avenue in west St. Pete, along with locations in Largo and Land O’ Lakes.
