A new spot to grab a to-go cup of coffee is headed to the heart of Ybor City. Brown Bag Coffee Company, known for its artisan cold brew and retail bags of beans, is getting ready to open its doors at Centro Ybor, located at 1600 E 8th Ave.
The Ybor hotspot is home to several different types of businesses—from ice cream and sand- wich shops to co-working offices and sit-down restaurants—and will soon boast an outdoor cafe specializing in cold brew, lattes, breakfast and more.
Brown Bag Coffee Company owner Garrett Buckles began his journey in the industry almost a decade ago, when he “got bit by the bug” of specialty coffee and started to learn how to roast his own beans.
In 2020, the Tampa native started roasting on a larger scale and popping up at local farmers markets (including the Ybor City Saturday Market), and eventually opened his own coffee and ice cream shop in Safety Harbor. After selling his flagship brick and mortar, Buckles focused on increasing production and retail distribution to local grocery stores, markets and restaurants.
Brown Bag Coffee Company wholesales its beans, gallons of cold brew, ground coffee and cans of nitro cold brew to variety of different shops throughout Tampa Bay, including the popular Tides Seafood Market & Provisions, Rollin’ Oats, Fat Beet Farm, Nature’s Food Patch, Halelife Bakery and Duckweed Urban Grocery.
And within the next few months, Tampa residents will be able to purchase Brown Bag products directly from its new Ybor storefront.
“It’s very clear to me that Centro Ybor is the right space for us…there’s great things happening in and around that part of town and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it,” Buckles says.
The new location will offer food and drink options similar to other sit-down cafes, but with more of a focus on grab and go options. Brown Bag Coffee’s debut Tampa location will only have outdoor seating, as customers will order from a to-go window.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brown Bag Coffee Company to Centro Ybor as part of the adaptive reuse of the old Muvico ticket booth. This creative transformation not only preserves a unique piece of the site’s history but also brings fresh energy and a new amenity to Centro,” Centro Ybor repre- sentative Nicholas Oberholtzer says. “We’re proud to support local businesses and enhance the daily experience of everyone who visits or works here.”
Specializing in fair-trade beans that come from the Cerrado region of Brazil, Buckles sources a large majority of his product from a single farm. Brazilian coffee is known for its full-bodied and rich flavor, often with tasting notes of chocolate or nuttiness.
“At this point, we’re pretty known for our cold brew—we use a high-elevation, low acidity coffee and it’s always roasted and brewed within days of receiving a shipment of beans,” Buckles explains. “It definitely packs a punch because of the caffeine, but it’s incredibly smooth to drink.”
In addition to serving cold brew on tap and cold brew lattes, Brown Bag’s Centro Ybor cafe will offer kombucha, espresso-based drinks, refreshers, sodas, lemonades and teas. “The rich coffee history of Ybor City can’t be told without espresso,” Buckles adds.
A light breakfast and lunch menu—that was created in collaboration with Tides Seafood Market & Provisions owner Jon Walker will also be offered. Dishes like avocado toast, bagels and cream cheese and a variety of sandwiches will join Brown Bag’s extensive drink menu.
With the debut of Brown Bag Coffee Company’s cafe slated for late summer, Buckles hopes that he can eventually open more locations through- out the Bay area.
For more information about Centro Ybor’s new caffeinated addition, follow @thebrownbagcoffee on Instagram or order a bag of whole beans from thebrownbagcoffee.com.
Brown Bag Coffee’s debut Tampa location is brought to you by Lydia Kressel of Archer Real Estate and local contractor The Perry Company.
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2025.
