Earlier this month, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay connected with Cortney Alleyne, a local young entrepreneur looking to launch a new coffee shop in Tampa Bay. Rise Koffee + Kulture is set to embody Black culture, community, and coffee. But first, Alleyne has to raise the dough. On Jan. 18, the Rise team launched its Kickstarter page. Within a week, the Kickstarter account has raised $2,144 of its $15,000 goal with the help of 37 backers.
The campaign ends on Feb. 8, so if you have a few bucks to spare, shoot them Rise's way to not only support local businesses but also have a hand in creating a hub for local creatives. By March, Alleyne hops to begin leasing out a brick and mortar space (in either Ybor City or West Tampa) and start build-out, with a May 16 opening date in mind. The campaign page also shares goals for the first year of operation. A few of which include:
- Create a unique, dynamic and inclusive coffee shop atmosphere
- Become a renowned "third place" (a place outside of work and home) among the local population and known as a destination point for local workers, shoppers and visitors
- Expand local job growth in the community
When it comes to offerings, we can expect the forthcoming shop to be slinging light bites as well as classic coffee pours like espresso, macchiato, and Americanos. Specialty drink options include the Hustle + Bloom made up of espresso and oat milk with gourmet rose and lavender syrup topped with a pink rose. There's also the Rise + Grind, with espresso, milk, housemade syrup steeped with toasted coconut and topped with coconut flakes. Oh, and the Seven + Eight, a vegan soft serve ice cream made with coconut milk, signature espresso topped with espresso powder. For non-coffee drinkers, you can grab loose leaf tea, apple juice, bottled water, lemonade, and matcha lattes. Rise offers two sizes: the Biggie (16 oz.) and the Smalls (12 oz.).
Other ways to support Rise in its journey to debuting is by snagging merch from its website (risekoffeekulture.com). Currently, the shop has tote bags($13) and long-sleeve T-shirts($18) available. The brand will also introduce some whole bean "koffee" options to its site by next week. Keep up with Rise's progress on social media (@risekoffeeandkulture).
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This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2021.