Kahwa takes the wraps off new 4th Street store

Kahwa Coffee Roasting Co. is brewing a new idea for the store it plans to open later this year on 4^th Street in St. Petersburg.

The café will be constructed from three reclaimed shipping containers. It’s part of an initiative to encourage sustainability in the local community.

“We hope this new concept will inspire the community to look into ways of reducing their carbon footprint,” Kahwa Coffee co-owner Raphael Perrier said in a news release. “For us, this was a great opportunity to do just that for Kahwa. Shipping containers are not only fun and cost-effective, but they are a fantastic alternative to a new build, making them extremely eco-friendly.”

The new store, at 6623 4^th St. N., is expected to open mid-to late-summer 2020. It will offer a drive-thru and a covered seating area.

The new cafe will have outdoor seating.

The new cafe will have a drive-through.

“Our goal is to continue creating preferred destinations that are easily accessible, consistent and provide the highest caliber of products available,” said Sarah Perrier, co-owner of Kahwa Coffee.

About 20 jobs are expected to be created at the new store.

Kahwa said the new cafe, made of shipping containers, is the first of its kind in St. Petersburg.

The new St. Petersburg café will be the 16^th store for Kahwa, and follows last month’s opening of a store at the Tampa Airport Marriott. The company also plans to open stores in Dunedin, Bradenton and Casey Key, near Sarasota, Raphael Perrier told St. Pete Catalyst.

Kahwa Coffee is a wholesale and retail coffee company, founded in 2006 by the Perriers and based in St. Petersburg. It is the largest independent coffee roaster in Florida.

In addition to its 15 retail locations, it has more than 800 wholesale customers.