"It's like a coffee bean hitting you in the face!"
That's what my caffeine companion said when he smelled my Greek coffee from a new coffee shop in downtown Gulfport.
Opened earlier this month, SumitrA Espresso Lounge operates 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The shop took over the former Murphy drugstore/1926 building/Bellini's/La Fogata space at 2838 Beach Blvd. S.
SumitrA offers cafe staples like strong coffee, tea and baked goods (those lemon bars are so good) at a reasonable price — think $2 to $7 for a drink and $3 for a CBD-infused espresso add-on — as well as cold-pressed juices by Lumi and wheat grass shots.
The comfy couch, wifi and friendly vibe should also compel customers to stick around awhile, as this is an all-around cozy, happy spot.
Gulfport has badly needed a coffee shop with regular hours for years. Stella's serves coffee, yes, but the place is so popular that it's kind of a dick move to stay and linger for two hours with your writer friends. And the neighborhood loves T and Me Tea Company, though erratic hours (the owners have an ill daughter) make it hard to schedule a coffee date there regularly. Plus, there are something like five indoor seats at two tables.
But SumitrA's name, which means "good friend" in Sanskrit, seems like a pretty great indicator of what to expect.
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 5, 2018.