Tampa’s Honeycomb Cafe is a new place to perk up or take a Zoom call with an off-camera bloody mary

Weekday mornings in downtown Tampa’s West River neighborhood just got a little bit sweeter. Honeycomb Cafe, the new coffee and pastries concept at local favorite Hooch and Hive, is now open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-noon. Since the soft opening on April 19, Honeycomb Cafe has become a welcome place for those looking to grab a handcrafted espresso before heading into the office. It’s also an excellent place to work remotely, with free wifi and outlets for your laptop to boot.

The space—at 1001 W Cass St.—is a harmonious mix of indoor and outdoor seating that provides an environment conducive to work and play, as is evidenced by the no questions asked vibe of Alanna Baker, a longtime fixture of the Tampa bar scene, when you order a “Get Awesome” at 9 a.m. “What’s a ‘Get Awesome,'” you ask? It’s a Tampeño remix of Irish coffee in which a tasteful amount of your favorite whiskey is followed by a creamy and decadent cafe con leche and zero judgment.

Honeycomb Cafe is the brainchild and passion project of beloved Tampa resident Krystal Ralph, who got her start as a barista in the late-’90s when she was an apprentice at a tattoo parlor and worked at a coffee shop in the mornings to make ends meet. She fondly remembers hearing the coffee pot bubbling as a child, smelling the aromas and getting excited to concoct the perfect cup for her grandmother in the appropriately stained favorite mug. She shows the same pride and enthusiasm in crafting each espresso drink at Honeycomb using Tampa Bay’s own Buddy Brew, another nod to her commitment to showcasing local vendors in an effort to further connect the community (Buddy Brew HQ is two blocks west of Hooch at a facility that handles cold brew and roasts its beans).

Ralph’s personal favorite is the “Sweet Nut,” which is her version of a caramel macchiato that combines espresso, hazelnut syrup and salted caramel which is then flipped upside down to mix and served over ice. Customers have been liking the “Happy Camper,” aptly described as s’mores in a cup, which consists of espresso, dark chocolate and toasted marshmallow syrup over ice and with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. If you’re a tea drinker, you’ll be pleased to hear Honeycomb carries Roots and Ritual, a local ayurvedic grass roots company started by Sandi Hein and Amber Wilson, Hooch and Hive co-founders and previous owners of Ybor City’s gone but never forgotten Czar nightclub.

The idea originally grew out of Hooch & Hive’s largely unused yet impressively professional espresso machine, which saw little action as the venue was only open in the evenings. In her own words, Ralph thought, “Dang, that’s one of those fire ass espresso machines,” and figured there was a niche to fill in the immediate area for folks wanting either a delicious espresso drink and/or a hair of the dog after a long night (did we mention that Honeycomb opens at 7 a.m.?) Since The cafe is able to take advantage of Hooch & Hive’s liquor license, your morning Zoom call can be accompanied by an off camera Bloody Mary.

For now, the cafe has a well curated selection of pastries from Romano’s Bakery out of Boca Raton, but the goal for the near future is to offer a selection of breakfast sandwiches made on premise. The pastries, which are delivered fresh twice a week, range from the classically delicious chocolate croissant to the bright and tangy lemon poppy pound cake. The point is, you can’t go wrong, especially if you befriend resident squirrel Mr. Nobody who will undoubtedly look longingly at your banana nut muffin.

And with remote work being the order of the day, you might just walk into the cafe, and think to yourself: “Honey, I’m home.”

This article appears in May 11-17, 2023.