After three years at Armature Works, Tampa Heights coffee shop Union by Commune + Co. is moving out.
The shop—home to a staff led by Tampa's Joel Davis who first brought pressure-brewed, nitro-delivered cold brew to the Bay area in 2014—made the announcement on social media on Tuesday, adding that its last day of service at the food hall is Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7.
Union's first day of service at Pickford's Counter—located at 2606 W Hillsborough Ave. in between the Wellswood and Plaza Terrace neighborhoods—arrives even sooner on Jan. 11.
“We’ll definitely have more to say on this and other new endeavors. For now, we just wanna finish strong in a home that has served us well,” Union wrote on Instagram. “Cheers!”
The move comes as Davis plans a collaborative Get Along doughnut concept in Seminole Heights.
Union’s move into the Pickford space also means that Bandit Coffee Co.'s Josh Weaver—who was consulting on the coffee program at the retro-style counter when it opened last summer—will focus solely on operations at his St. Pete shop, making room for Davis and his staff to fully develop coffee options at Pickford.
Bandit Coffee has long been used at Union and other shops across the Bay area, with Davis calling a recent batch of Bandit coffee some of the best he’s ever used in espresso at Union. Bandit beans—roasted by Brennan Dielle—will no doubt be part of the offering at the new location.
“With all the craziness of the pandemic, it actually worked out perfect for Bandit and us,” Davis told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “A win-win for all.”
“Everyone at Union are pals, and we love them,” Weaver told CL. “Excited to see what they do at Pickford’s Counter.”
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reached out to reps at Armature Works for more information on who might be moving in.
UPDATED: 01/05/20 11:45 a.m. Updated with comment from Davis and Weaver.
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