A one-stop shop for breakfast, dessert and specialty cocktails will soon close its doors in The 'Burg.
Beans & Barlour, located at 407 Central Ave. in downtown St. Pete, took to Instagram today to announce its upcoming closure. The cafe and dessert hotspot’s last day open is Friday, Nov. 11. Owner Story Stuart informed her employees of Beans & Barlour’s closure yesterday.
Although Stuart states that 2023 has been her cafe's busiest year yet, she says that Beans & Barlour has evolved from a passion project to a business that no longer aligns with her creative goals.
“Whether caused by the construction that surrounds our storefront, changes in the economic climate or some combination of the two— the shift in demand from our customers towards breakfast has been profound,” the business writes on Instagram. “As the demand has started to shift away from our unique desserts, so too has the passion we once had for creating them.”
Stuart also mentioned that she and her fiancé Steve Bliven are planning to get married at the end of 2023, and hopes that the next chapter of their lives is best to be written “without the day-to-day stress of operating a retail location.”
Although Beans & Barlour is closing its storefront, Stuart said that the business’ Instagram account will be used for tutorials and other content surrounding its popular desserts and baked goods.
Beans & Barlour first opened around the corner from its current location at 544 1st Ave. N in 2018, in the parcel currently occupied by The Nest, St. Pete Brewing Co.’s performance space. The cafe and dessert spot made a name for itself by serving boozy, alcohol-infused ice cream and milkshakes, but eventually expanded its footprint to include a variety of espresso-based drinks, over-the-top and Instagrammable milkshakes, breakfast sandwiches (that utilized bagels straight from New York), seasonal treats and a variety of both sweet and savory baked goods.
The cafe even has a “puppy pick-up” window so customers’ dogs can easily accept treats from its employees.
In addition to the all-day cafe on Central Avenue, Beans & Barlour also operates a scaled-down location inside of Tropicana Field and has been slinging ice cream and milkshakes during baseball season since 2021.
An employee tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Beans & Barlour definitely won’t be a vendor at The Trop’s ultra-popular Enchanted Christmas installment this year, although it’s still unsure if its dessert kiosk will open for 2024’s baseball season.
In 2021, Beans & Barlour, with the help of Dominican distillery Brugal 1888,
beat the Guinness Book world record for “Most People Scooping Ice Cream Simultaneously,” with the participation of 327 people.
For the latest news on Beans & Barlour and next week’s closure, head to its Instagram at @beansandbarlour—and please remember to tip your baristas if you have a chance to stop into the cafe one last time.
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St. Pete's Beans & Barlour cafe and dessert shop is closing after five years downtown
Its last day open is Friday, Nov. 10.
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