Over the last few years, Tampa Heights has seen a major boom in brewery and restaurant openings. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, heavy hitters like Hall on Franklin and Foundation Coffee Co. were forced to either relocate or shut down completely. While the pandemic is far from over, it looks like some newbies are entering the scene to add a little spice to the area.
One of which is Flower Crown Kombucha. The craft kombucha brewery is the first of its kind in the area and is set to take over the former home of Foundation Coffee Co. at 1607 N. Franklin St. The trio of owners, Bryan Griffin, Phil Smith, and Dan Andresen connected with Creative Loafing Tampa for a phone interview to talk what’s brewing behind the scene of the forthcoming concept.
The story begins with the three connecting through Radiant Church. It didn’t take long before Griffin, Smith and Andresen became friends and then blossomed into business partners.
“Radiant church was a huge catalyst turning us into lifelong friends and hopefully life long business partners,” Andresen says with a laugh.
Griffin then ran down the list of duties that each partner takes on for Flower Crown.
“Phil is the master brewer, I’m handling the legal things, and Dan is the money guy. We complement each other,” Griffin explains.
Smith shared that funny enough, the guys drew up their business plan over coffee within the building’s former tenant Foundation Coffee Co. Once they got the news that the space was available, they jumped on it. Being that they are friends and fans of the flair Foundation brought to the space, when it comes to renovations, the three are solely looking to embellish its features. For instance, guests will still be able to sit and sip by the waterfall features, as well as introduce some new flower motifs. The outdoor patio space will also be available to be rented out for special occasions.
If the final steps of the permitting process go off without a hitch, Flower Crown could open its doors within the next week. The partners are looking forward to adding the kombucha bar to the list of fellow local hubs in the area.
“Tampa has two great subcultures: a church culture and you get a lot of influx of people on Sundays and then you have craft breweries like Hidden Springs, Magnanimous and The Meatery,” Griffin explains. “Tampa Heights is turning into a craft beverage hub, which continues to attract people to this area.”
Now let’s get to the offerings. Smith is creating batches in-house and will offer six to eight different kombucha brews on draft. Additionally, Flower Crown will be working with some local coffee roasters and offering nitro cold brew coffees as well. As far as bites go, the shop is linking up with local bakeries to offer small snacks as well as organic popcorn that’s made on-site.
Want to take it to go? You can snag all draft kombucha in a 32 oz. or 64 oz. growler. Oh, and shortly after opening, Flower Crown plans to can its creations for small sips on the go. Another goal on the horizon is introducing hard kombucha to the menu offerings.
While Flower Crown is opening amidst a pandemic, the concept is requiring masks for guests and staff, tables will be socially distanced, and FCK is offering contactless payment and hand sanitizer stations. When in doubt, opt for open-air seating out on the patio or snag your beverage to go.
Fingers crossed for everything to go smoothly for the kombucha brewery to make its debut within the next week. Upon soft opening, Flower Crown will operate at limited hours with plans to expand upon demand and once the ‘buch is steadily flowing.
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