Curiosity Club of Seminole Heights brings knowledge to the coffee table

From conversations on coral spawning and ethical sourcing of tea to lessons about Hilma af Klimt and artificial intelligence, Curiosity Club of Seminole Heights enjoys coffee with a side of new knowledge. 

Every month, the club shines an eclectic spotlight on a variety of topics and lessons at Corner Club Tampa, a dive-bar-turned cafe that welcomes all to its casual venue.

Kayla Brazee, a history teacher and founder of the club, said she came up with the concept as a way for people to bond outside of the academic setting–and Corner Club was the perfect place to do it. 

Since the club’s inaugural meeting in December 2024, with the first lesson centered around the Articles of Confederation, the club’s Facebook group has amassed 610 members Turnout has been as high as 45-50 people for some sessions. 

“It’s just hard to meet people at this age,” Brazee said. “And what better way to do it than learning about something cool and new?”

Jennifer Armstrong, the cafe’s owner since 2020, feels that the club has added to an already thriving community of regulars that now get to exchange ideas and skills in a way that would’ve never happened without it. 

“We talk to our customers all the time, but a lot of the time, our customers don’t talk to each other,” Armstrong said. “So, we use that as our vehicle. Us using our tool of being able to talk to each other is also putting them all together to meet new people.” 

From there, countless opportunities have emerged for members. Those passionate to share their take on a developing issue or concern have taken the floor, such as one neighborhood regular whom Armstrong once recommended to teach the group about chemicals in water. 

Brazee encourages all to come and join–as well as lead–the experience, as the club’s sessions are fundamentally a “community-led endeavor.” New ideas for conversations and themes of each session stem from curious minds, she said.

The club will host its next session, “SideNotes – Reading Music,” on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. Guests can learn or refresh on the fundamentals of reading and creating music.

This article appears in Jan. 22 – 28, 2026.