Foxtail Coffee will open its first Tampa location May 1 at Casa Marti in Ybor City, giving the Winter Park-based chain a foothold in one of Tampa’s most recognizable commercial districts as it continues expanding across Florida.
The cafe will open at 220 E. Seventh Ave. on the ground floor of Casa Marti, a mixed-use building with 127 apartments above retail space.
“This is one of the up-and-coming areas,” said Hayde Rodriguez, an operating partner with the company. “We’re lucky that we can get that space in Ybor City.”
Rodriguez said the mixed-use setting and surrounding residential growth helped draw Foxtail to the project.
Plans filed with the city show a buildout with a service counter, espresso bar, prep space and indoor and sidewalk seating.
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The Ybor store will be supplied through Foxtail’s Orlando and Winter Park operations, with beans sourced from Colombia and Mexico. Rodriguez said the menu will include manual brewing methods alongside espresso drinks and lattes.
“We craft everything,” Rodriguez said. “We don’t really just press the button.”
The Tampa location will also include a custom mural. Rodriguez said Foxtail designs each store around its surroundings, with the Ybor artwork drawing on Cuban influences and featuring a rooster, created by a Tampa-based artist.
Casa Marti developer Darryl Shaw said Foxtail fits the project.
“Foxtail Coffee is a great addition to Ybor City and another sign of the positive momentum we’re seeing across the neighborhood,” Shaw said. “As a growing Florida-based company that roasts its coffee regionally and focuses on creating welcoming neighborhood cafés, Foxtail reflects the kind of energy and investment shaping Ybor’s future,” Shaw said.
A Central Florida coffee chain expands
Founded in 2016 by Alex Tchekmeian in Winter Park, Foxtail roasts its coffee in Orlando and has grown into a regional chain with more than 120 locations across several states, including about 40 in Florida.
“Businesses like this help bring people together, support local jobs and continue strengthening Ybor as a vibrant place to live, work and spend time,” Shaw said.
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