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TAMPA, Fla. — The convenience and speed of the service at Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts have many Americans rushing through the drive-thru for their early morning caffeine fix, but those who choose local coffee shops say it’s the quality and conversation that keep them coming back for more.
Tampa is bursting with privately owned coffee houses that provide guests with freshly brewed organic coffee in artsy atmospheres, complete with overstuffed chairs and dimmed lights. Many of the shops menus have fresh, roasted organic coffee that attracts many coffee connoisseurs during the morning and late afternoon rush. Although many of these establishments have the qualifications to prove that their coffee is organic, many lack the certification needed to actually call their coffee “fair trade.”
There is a large difference between fair trade and organic coffee, but few are aware of what that difference is. According to Fair Trade USA, fair trade was established to help developing countries and their economies, by allowing the countries to sell their coffee beans for a fair and ethical price. Organic is more of a characteristic than a practice. According to Coffeereasearch.org, organic coffee beans are not produced with any pesticides or herbicides, and the beans are typically produced in a soil made up of compost and recycled material, rather than chemically enriched soil.
According to Fair Trade USA, fair trade coffee requires an agreement between the buyer and the seller, and includes principles in which the seller must abide by to become certified. The standards for certification include fair price, fair labor conditions, direct trade between the buyer and seller, community development funding, and environmental sustainability to eliminate the use of harmful chemicals.
Tampa’s fair trade certified coffee shops are difficult to find, but there are plenty of places where consumers can find an organic cup, roasted by a local business in the Tampa Bay area.
In an off-the-beaten-path location on 1540 N. Franklin Ave., Café Hey offers guests organic coffee, tea, and baked goods. The shop’s owner, Cheong Choi, said there are a lot of producers that claim to be fair trade, but he prefers to use a local brewer, called Buddy Brew coffee, to purchase coffee for his artsy abode.
“Just because they don’t have a certificate, Buddy Brew has made sure that everything is done properly,” Choi said. “I trust their judgment.”
Café Hey supports the local art community by hosting various live music events and art shows, and Choi said he believes it’s equally important to extend support to local businesses.
Tampa is bursting with privately owned coffee houses that provide guests with freshly brewed organic coffee in artsy atmospheres, complete with overstuffed chairs and dimmed lights. Many of the shops menus have fresh, roasted organic coffee that attracts many coffee connoisseurs during the morning and late afternoon rush. Although many of these establishments have the qualifications to prove that their coffee is organic, many lack the certification needed to actually call their coffee “fair trade.”
There is a large difference between fair trade and organic coffee, but few are aware of what that difference is. According to Fair Trade USA, fair trade was established to help developing countries and their economies, by allowing the countries to sell their coffee beans for a fair and ethical price. Organic is more of a characteristic than a practice. According to Coffeereasearch.org, organic coffee beans are not produced with any pesticides or herbicides, and the beans are typically produced in a soil made up of compost and recycled material, rather than chemically enriched soil.
According to Fair Trade USA, fair trade coffee requires an agreement between the buyer and the seller, and includes principles in which the seller must abide by to become certified. The standards for certification include fair price, fair labor conditions, direct trade between the buyer and seller, community development funding, and environmental sustainability to eliminate the use of harmful chemicals.
Tampa’s fair trade certified coffee shops are difficult to find, but there are plenty of places where consumers can find an organic cup, roasted by a local business in the Tampa Bay area.
In an off-the-beaten-path location on 1540 N. Franklin Ave., Café Hey offers guests organic coffee, tea, and baked goods. The shop’s owner, Cheong Choi, said there are a lot of producers that claim to be fair trade, but he prefers to use a local brewer, called Buddy Brew coffee, to purchase coffee for his artsy abode.
“Just because they don’t have a certificate, Buddy Brew has made sure that everything is done properly,” Choi said. “I trust their judgment.”
Café Hey supports the local art community by hosting various live music events and art shows, and Choi said he believes it’s equally important to extend support to local businesses.
“As far as a local, there are a million reasons to have local business dealing with local business,” Choi said. “We know them personally. We like ethical businesses. That extends from the people who roast it to the people who pick it.”
Café Hey is slightly farther away from the cluster of the other downtown businesses, but their employees say regulars don’t mind making the trip for its coffee and conversation. According to Leslie Corsa, an employee at Café Hey, the environment at the shop acts as an open floor for intelligent conversation and playful interaction.
“We have a place people come in, and we’re working and starting discussion,” Corsa said. “This is a place where spontaneous discussions take place. Intellectual exchange is available.” Corsa said that his recent regulars engaged in a weeklong debate over religion every morning of this past week.
In contrast to Café Hey’s intellectual vibe, NOLA Café, located on 301 W. Platt St., offers more of a lively, cultural vibe, with a sign that encourages patrons to Walk in. Dance out.” Patrons are loyal here too, saying they feel as if they are sitting on Bourbon Street when they come to NOLA Café.
NOLA Café purchases its coffee from a roaster in New Orleans, called Community Coffee. To add to the authenticity of its Louisiana atmosphere, the shop displays mementos of voodoo masks and dolls from Mardi Gras. They also sell various souvenirs such as coffee mugs, shirts, and street maps from New Orleans.
Community Coffee bags are labeled as organic, however, the beans lack an official fair trade certification. According to Garland Dye, an employee at NOLA Café, it doesn’t stop customers from purchasing Community Coffee, while ordering authentic powdered sugared beignets, also known as the French doughnut.
“We have people come in to purchase our bricks of coffee,” Dye said. “We get to know the customers one on one.”
Located near the University of South Florida, there is a coffee shop called Café Kili, located on 5731 E. Fowler Ave., that offers fair trade certified coffee from Africa.
Café Kili buys its coffee beans from growers in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, and roasts the beans on-site. The owners, Rose and Patrick Waruinge, moved to Tampa from Kenya over 10 years ago. With them, they said they brought their love for coffee and their appreciation for fair trade practices. Patrick Waruinge said he knows his bean producers personally.
The coffee shop sells authentic jewelry and art sent by family members and friends in Africa. The owners show their admiration for American soldiers with a wall dedicated to those who have died while fighting for America. Among those soldiers, there is a picture of their son, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin Waruinge, hung in the center, honoring his sacrifice as a soldier.
Café Kili also offers live music, free Wi-Fi, and a breakfast and lunch menu. Similar to the patrons at Café Hey and NOLA Café, guests of Café Kili say they enjoy the comfortable atmosphere, and the open floor available for local artists and musicians.
Although there are minimal fair trade certified coffee shops in Tampa, many shops are happy to provide an organic cup, in an amiable atmosphere. Choi said it isn’t the cost that steers him away from ensuring that fair trade procedures are involved behind his coffee beans, but it is more about supporting the local businesses involved in the industry. The massive, chain coffee houses have yet to affect his business, but because of the relationships he maintains with his customers, he doesn’t think they ever will.
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