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Sun Bear Specialty Coffee Roasters opened its first standalone cafe in St. Petersburg, Florida, on July 26. The 1,200-square-foot cafe serves espresso, pour-over coffee and other drinks, while an adjoining 800-square-foot space houses roasting for the cafe and wholesale customers.
Sun Bear Specialty Coffee Roasters opened its first standalone cafe in St. Petersburg, Florida, on July 26, giving the small roaster a permanent place to serve customers and produce coffee for its cafe and wholesale clients. The 1,200-square-foot shop is joined by an 800-square-foot roasting space, according to a September 29 report by Daily Coffee News.
The cafe brings the company’s 1970s-inspired branding into its interior, with a butter-yellow tiled bar, red shelving and pendant lights, and a combination of natural wood and stainless steel. Vintage hi-fi speakers flank the menu board behind the counter. Owner Kenny Beers told Daily Coffee News that the team had a clear design direction despite already having a suitable space.
At the bar, staff prepare espresso on a two-group Rancilio Classe 5. An Ethiopian Guji coffee often serves as the espresso base. The menu also includes cold brew, drip coffee and manual pour-overs, with some drinks featuring house-made syrups or additions such as dragon fruit cold foam. The report says the pour-over selection includes co-fermented and washed coffees.
Beers roasts coffee in the adjoining space on a Yoshan machine. Sun Bear supplies its own cafe and wholesale customers from there. The cafe also serves pastries and light bites from outside vendors; the company does not prepare food in-house. Beers said relying on vendors lets the team focus on coffee.
A Permanent Home for Sun Bear
The opening gives Sun Bear a dedicated customer-facing location after about five years of selling at markets, pop-ups and through other local businesses. It also brings the cafe and a small roasting operation together at one address, allowing the company to serve drinks on site while continuing to supply wholesale clients.
For customers, the change means Sun Bear’s coffee program is available in a permanent cafe rather than only through its earlier temporary and shared settings. The menu’s espresso, pour-over and other options offer different ways to try the roaster’s coffees, including experimental post-harvest offerings. The report does not give sales figures or customer counts, so the opening’s commercial effect is not yet measurable from the available information.
The shop’s music and design also connect to Beers’ route into coffee. He previously taught music in Cambodia, where his renewed interest in late-1960s and early-1970s music and pop culture influenced Sun Bear’s branding. The grand opening included several bands, linking the cafe’s launch to that musical history while marking the start of its standalone operation.
From Markets to a Cafe
Before opening the St. Petersburg cafe, Sun Bear built its business through markets, pop-ups and local businesses. Beers formally established the company in 2021. It later operated a small coffee bar inside Sans Market in St. Petersburg, which closed at the end of May as the company focused on the new location.
Beers learned basic roasting from Kakada Nub, a Cambodian roaster and barista he met while teaching music in Cambodia. The report describes Nub as a prominent competitor in Cambodian national barista competitions. Beers returned to the United States before the COVID-19 pandemic and later developed Sun Bear’s roasting business around lightly roasted single-origin coffees, including coffees with experimental processing.
The company sources through importers including Unblended, Cafe Imports and Cofinet, as well as through some direct relationships, Beers told Daily Coffee News. Sun Bear is located at 1942 1st Ave S in St. Petersburg. Its new roasting room is larger than Beers’ former garage setup, though the report characterizes it as small.
““We were very disciplined with this one thing. We already had a great space, but our Pinterest pinboard was loaded.””
— Kenny Beers, Sun Bear Coffee owner
Expansion Plans Still Developing
Sun Bear has said it wants to expand roasting to reach more customers across the United States and has added subscription services through Crema.co and Bottomless. The report does not specify a timetable, target markets, planned production volumes or how many subscribers the services currently have.
The available reporting also does not provide the cafe’s opening hours, prices, staffing levels, sales, or customer response beyond Beers’ description of the grand opening as a success. Details about future menu changes and wholesale expansion have not been announced in the source material.
Subscriptions and Wider Distribution
Beers said Sun Bear’s next steps include building its subscription services and expanding the reach of its roasting operation across the United States. The company has named Crema.co and Bottomless as subscription platforms, but has not provided a schedule or specific expansion targets.
For now, the cafe at 1942 1st Ave S is the company’s new base for serving drinks in St. Petersburg and roasting for its cafe and wholesale clients. Any further locations, production changes or distribution milestones remain unannounced.
Key Questions
When did Sun Bear’s standalone cafe open?
The cafe opened on July 26, 2026, according to the Daily Coffee News report published September 29.
Where is the cafe?
Sun Bear Coffee Roasters is at 1942 1st Ave S in St. Petersburg, Florida.
What does Sun Bear serve?
The reported menu includes espresso drinks, cold brew, drip coffee and manual pour-overs, along with pastries and light bites supplied by outside vendors. Some drinks include house-made syrups or additions such as dragon fruit cold foam.
Does Sun Bear roast coffee at the new location?
Yes. An 800-square-foot adjoining space houses a Yoshan roasting machine used to roast coffee for the cafe and wholesale clients.
What has Sun Bear said it plans to do next?
Owner Kenny Beers said the company has added subscription services through Crema.co and Bottomless and wants to expand roasting to reach more customers across the United States. He did not give a timetable or specific targets.
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