An old Farm Store in west St. Petersburg will soon serve as another kind of drive-thru. The husband-and-wife duo behind Kahwa Coffee, Raphael and Sarah Perrier, are transforming the vintage T-shaped structure at 5820 Ninth Ave. N., one of the many Farm Stores located across the state until the mid-'80s, into their fourth drive-thru cafe — and 12th location.
Born in St. Pete, the local coffee roaster operates drive-thrus in South Tampa, Lakewood Ranch and along St. Pete's Third Street North, which serve up specialty drinks, coffee by the pound and baked goods.
"With store number twelve not far away from opening, we are excited to bring the good coffee that Kahwa is known for to a new section of our hometown," Sarah said in a statement Tuesday.
As one of the smallest Kahwas, the west St. Pete cafe, whose vintage building was built in 1962, weighs in at 410 square feet. A small outdoor seating area is also planned for patrons looking to sit and stay awhile.
"We have a special opportunity to restore a unique piece of architecture from an era-gone by," according to Raphael. "We cannot wait to bring our vision for this drive-thru to the public and serve our signature blends to the rapidly-growing western-side of St Petersburg."
