A Coffee Crew Keeps Doors Open For St. Pete During Coronavirus

ST. PETERSBURG, FL —A mask covers a customer's face who stands outside the entrance of the 210-square foot south St. Pete coffee shop, Southside Coffee Brew Bar and waits for her turn to order. The owner, Sheila Smith places a coffee she just poured on the to-go counter and tells the man it's for to have a great day and see you next time. As he exits, the woman wearing a mask steps to her far left side to keep plenty of space between her and him. Smith wipes down her counter with disinfectant spray as she says, "Good morning, what are you having?"

Leading up to business closures after the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., a lot of local business owners were and still are stressed. Uncertainty is the certainty right now with a myriad of things such as health, businesses, education and jobs.

"No one knew what was going on," said Smith. "They started shutting things down and it was surreal because it was a pandemic. And every body just got in their house and wanted to hide. Nobody knew if we were going to die."

After Governor Ron DeSantis' executive order in March stated that restaurants, which included coffee shops be limited to takeout and curbside pickup only, 6th Street South where Southside Coffee is located felt like a ghost town. Hardly any cars drove along the street. Customers weren't allowed to sit inside and have conversations they looked forward to with their local baristas on their 10-minute breaks of grabbing a coffee. The outdoor seating area where the majority of her customers hang out was also closed.

"The streets were kind of scary because no one was open and crime was picking up a little so that became nerve wracking," said Smith. "The whole experience was exhausting but there was a lot of therapy," she said with a laugh. "Because every person talked about it so you'd have 30 conversations a day about it, and then you'd go home and see the news. The first wave of all these people unemployed, and it was devastating."

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Unfortunate times have caused some coffee shops and tea shops around town to close permanently while others have closed temporarily. Brew D Licious has permanently closed its Central Avenue location as Roots of the Sun on Central Avenue has also closed its doors. Black Crow Coffee will be reopening on June 1 with select outdoor seating at their Grand Central District, confirmed their Facebook page.

Smith decided instead of closing temporarily to keep her doors open with takeout orders. Pump bottles of hand sanitizer and hand sanitizer wipes were available to customers. A big chalkboard sign at the door read, "1 person at a time in store," and at the entrance written in chalk was the same reminder with six feet of social distancing as you wait added. The credit/debit card machine was disinfected after each use.

Before Florida entered phase 1, this is how Smith served her customers. She also had signs outside that said, "No hanging out on benches or outside the store. Takeout Only."

For three weeks, Smith ran the store by herself every day of the week. Her two-person crew that includes a barista, Bryan Martin and herself was cut down just to herself because Martin had to take off work to help his kids adjust to online learning from home. Martin has since returned, and they have resumed their two-person crew operation.

The outside seating area has reopened for her customers since Florida has gone into phase 1 of reopening businesses. The two person tables are separated by six feet and Smith's signs and chalk writings on the pavement remind everyone to keep six feet of space while hanging out. She continues allowing only one person at a time in the store to place their order.

On Monday, May 11 it looked like things were starting to return to normal around the coffee shop as some regulars sipped their coffee as they sat at the outdoor tables and enjoyed laughs and conversations with others they probably only see at Southside Coffee. The presence of gratitude for a sense of normalcy could be felt.

Janene Markuske, a regular who drives past Southside Coffee every day as she takes her child to the babysitter before she starts her workday likes to stop in a few times a week to get herself and her husband a coffee.

"I really appreciate that they have stayed open," said Markuske. "Sheila has done a great job to make sure there's only one person in her little shop at a time, and she tries to get people to stand away from each other when you're outside. She's done a great job of managing what she can while still staying open."

Smith expresses her gratitude for the community showing their loyalty during these times. She felt safe with the conversations she's had with her customers about the uncertain times caused by the pandemic.

"They're more than customers to me, they've become friends," said Smith. "It was pretty neat to see who came together and who I was with during these times."

Southside Coffee Brew Bar is located at 3922 6th St. South and the hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m to 1 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

For more information about Southside Coffee, visit their website.

You can read more stories about St. Pete reopening during the pandemic, right here:

Restaurants, Social Distance: Mayor Discusses St. Pete Reopening

Where To Get Tested For Coronavirus Without Symptoms in St. Pete

St. Pete Heroes: Help Patch Recognize Those Making A Difference