James Frank, who owns the brand new Espresso Latitudes Café on County Line Rd., west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (in the identical plaza as 5 Guys and LA Health) along with his spouse Olga (proper), is what I name each a perfectionist and a real “artiste.”
James, who’s from Croton-on-Hudson within the northern a part of Westchester County, NY, determined at a younger age that he wasn’t going to comply with in his father’s footsteps and grow to be a plumber. He was in a culinary program in highschool and, after a couple of yr in a technical faculty, discovered a vacated restaurant location in his hometown and, at age 19, he opened The Malt Store.
“That was within the Eighties,” James says, “however are you aware what was widespread within the ‘80s? The ‘50s! So, after all, we had a black-and-white checkered flooring, a counter with all of the stools, a jukebox within the again…so it was very malt shop-ish.”
By 1990, James offered that restaurant and had a possibility to promote espresso in Manhattan, which he did for about two years.
“I spotted, with my entrepreneurial spirit, ‘Hey, I can do that alone,” and, for a few years, he equipped espresso for the company workplaces of Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Perry Ellis and CNN. “When September 11 occurred, I wished to promote my enterprise and by November of that yr, I offered that enterprise and went on my first sabbatical. By June of 2002, I relocated to Florida.”
From 2002-15, his new espresso provide enterprise offered to the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bucs, Morgan & Morgan and plenty of extra. “In case your giant workplace had a espresso machine, there was a superb probability it was certainly one of mine,” James says. “I had divisions in Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota and Ocala, however a Japanese firm that wished to interrupt into the Florida market purchased that enterprise, so I used to be on sabbatical once more. I traveled to Germany, Paris, Switzerland and eventually mentioned, I’m not but 50, I can’t simply do nothing. I’ve to seek out one thing else.”
So, he opened his first Florida café — Café Liberty Bistro — on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. at Van Dyke Rd. “It was undoubtedly a ‘foodie’ sort of place,” James says, “a spot the place you’d go to get a brief rib grilled cheese (left) or waffles loaded with pork stomach, sage or hen…large waffles.”
Olga, who’s from “Da Bronx” (however you’d by no means understand it from her non-NY, Latina accent) additionally labored with him within the espresso enterprise in Manhattan and moved to Florida with him to work at his espresso enterprise right here, By 2020, when James offered the Dale Mabry café simply earlier than Covid, he and Olga determined to open a brand new café in Spring Hill they referred to as Café Connections.
“The man who offered me the café in Spring Hill was impressed by my Dale Mabry retailer, so he opened the same café there and sarcastically, he sought me out and offered it to me,” James says. “We moved to Spring Hill as a result of the café was there.”
However, the opposite man who had purchased his Dale Mabry café ended up closing it a couple of year-and-a-half later and mentioned to James, “If you need it again, take it. We’re transferring again to India.” As an alternative of shopping for it or reopening it, the primary factor James wished from that retailer was its 5-kilo espresso roasting machine.
However, when Covid occurred, as an alternative of maintaining the Spring Hill café open, James and Olga offered it and commenced roasting espresso at residence.
“At the moment, Olga, who’s legally blind, turned a most cancers survivor,” James says, “so though we had been thought of to be an ‘important enterprise,’ we determined to go forward and shut. It was a blessing in disguise for us, as a result of the espresso enterprise began to take off.”
At the moment, the “espresso enterprise” was primarily on-line and appearances on the Market Elaine at The Grove and the Contemporary Market on the Outlets at Wiregrass, which ended up resulting in a Espresso Latitudes kiosk on the mall. After nearly 4 years in enterprise there, they offered the kiosk (which is now closed) a couple of months in the past to focus their energies on the Espresso Latitudes Café, which has now been open for nearly a yr.
“We simply occurred to be visiting this plaza and drove by the place,” Olga says, “and noticed that The Juice Manufacturing unit (the earlier tenant) had closed. Once we first requested about it, the man instructed us that he already had a Letter of Intent to take it over, however ended up calling us again a few months later. The primary time James noticed the brick partitions inside, he mentioned, ‘I wish to open a café right here.’”
So, whereas the 5-kilo espresso roaster remains to be of their storage, James purchased a 10-kilo roaster to have within the retailer and has been in a position to broaden his already intensive assortment of coffees from each coffee-growing area world wide, from Asia to Africa and from South to Central America.
The Espresso
When he first opened, James instructed me to at all times ask “What espresso are you brewing at present?,” however now, the day’s brews are posted on a chalkboard signal (under, proper picture) on the counter the place you order. One other small chalkboard signal tells you the day’s meals specials.
I like the entire Latin American coffees — from Bolivia, Honduras, Costa Rica and even Mexico, and I’ve been considerably shocked to additionally get pleasure from his Sumatran and Indonesian blends.
James says Espresso Latitudes focuses on natural, chemical free, Honest-Commerce espresso from small household farmers, together with Flhor Zelaya of Honduras (left picture), who has been rising espresso in her native nation since she was solely 5 years outdated. Flhor now helps 200 girls to reap her espresso that’s not solely natural, but additionally grown by bio-diversity farming. James is proud to promote his large number of beans to his ever-growing roster of appreciative prospects.
“And, we roast the entire espresso ourselves within the café for the freshest expertise,” James says.
He additionally says that natural free teas have been one other welcome addition to the Espresso Latitudes increasing beverage menu.
“We serve it in little pots on the desk,” he says. “We additionally get just a little geeky with serving espresso pour-overs and French press espresso at your desk.”
James additionally has instructed me that I’ve been storing my espresso all fallacious at residence. I knew that maintaining espresso beans (we grind our personal at residence) within the fridge is a no-no, however I assumed maintaining it within the freezer was higher. Fallacious once more.
“The easiest way to maintain your espresso recent is in an air-tight container in a cupboard or pantry,” he says. “That method, it doesn’t choose up any smells from the fridge or freezer.”
Olga provides, “Our baggage of bulk espresso beans all have a valve on the again to solely enable air to exit, not in. Our prospects love them!”
And, whereas Espresso Latitudes does provide lattes, cappuccinos, café mochas, affogato cafés (with Italian gelato and recent roasted espresso that may have you ever singing “Amore”) and different scorching and iced espresso drinks, don’t anticipate them to style like these processed, over-sugared drinks from these “S” or “DD” chains. “Even our common espresso wants much less cream and sweetener than you may be used to at residence,” James says.
Different drinks embody chilly brew, chai, matcha natural inexperienced and free leaf teas (scorching or iced), scorching chocolate, smoothies, frappes and quite a lot of “mocktails.”
And Lastly…The Meals!
James says Espresso Latitudes focuses on “artisanal consolation meals for breakfast and lunch.”
For breakfast, he imports croissants from France and “legit” bagels from New York Metropolis.
“We bake the croissants and bagels (the latter are ‘par-baked’ in New York and shipped frozen; out there in plain, every thing, “rainbow” and extra) right here and provide deluxe egg sandwiches (scrambled, over simple or sunny facet up), in your selection of bread (together with a ‘New Yorker’ on a Kaiser roll) and selection of meat (bacon or ham). You’ll be able to even add recent avocado (just like the picture under) or have the bagel toasted with butter or cream cheese. Or, get pleasure from a recent Belgian waffle topped with chocolate chips, strawberries or blueberries.”
Espresso Latitudes’ best-selling “Afternoon Chew” is the yummy shredded quick rib grilled cheese on the high of the web page. We used this picture to emphasise what James calls “the crown” — that crispy cooked cheddar and smoked gouda cheese mix that runs over the bread and makes not solely the style, but additionally the visuals, distinctive.
“You ‘style’ meals along with your eyes first, then the aroma after which the chunk,” he says.
Our different lunch-time favorites embody the triple-decker Turkey Membership proven above, the Giacomo (Italian for James), a shareable sammi with scorching capicola, salami, ham and mortadella with provolone, purple onion and Campari tomatoes on Italian bread with Sicilian purple pesto. Or, strive the Italian-style avocado toast on toasted garlic bread, with avocado, mozzarella, tomato, purple onion, a balsamic drizzle and Italian seasoning. There’s additionally hen Caesar, tuna, ham or turkey wraps and “You Chef” sandwiches, plus Caesar and different salads.
The restaurant additionally shows its bagels and croissants, together with quite a lot of pastries and desserts, a few of that are made or baked in-house, in two show instances.
‘Soup For You’ & Giving Again, Too!
With apologies to “Seinfeld,” James does make among the finest recent soups wherever. Jannah is just about hooked on the creamy tomato bisque, served with shredded cheddar cheese and house-made croutons. I continuously must name the eatery asking what soups they’ve and if it’s tomato, I’ve to purchase two of them.
One time, when he didn’t have the tomato, Jannah tried James’ creamy broccoli cheddar soup, so she now has two favorites! He additionally makes a imply, cinnamon-y carrot soup that’s nice on a chilly day…like we had most of January.
Espresso Latitudes additionally raises cash for native charities with its personal “Rise & Shine” program.
“For instance,” Olga says, “for St. Patrick’s Day, prospects could make a donation to have their identify printed on a gold coin or inexperienced shamrock within the café’s entrance window, with the entire proceeds going to a neighborhood charity. If you understand of a charity in want, cease in and tell us!”
Espresso Latitudes (6431 E. County Line Rd. in New Tampa) is open on daily basis for breakfast, lunch & early dinner, as follows: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.
For extra details about Espresso Latitudes (together with a fantastic coupon particular), see the advert under Or, name (813) 575-8000 or go to CoffeeLatitudes.com. And please, inform James and Olga that I despatched you!
