Coffee chain Kahwa looking to expand beyond Tampa Bay

Kahwa Coffee Roasters is looking to grow beyond Tampa Bay.

The St. Petersburg-based coffee shop chain announced it is open for franchising Thursday. Kahwa will begin offering franchise opportunities in Florida this month, a news release said.

“We are planning on focusing on Florida to start with for the first year and then we will expand our territories after that,” said Kahwa co-founder Raphael Perrier in a statement. “We want to ensure our franchisees are successful as we grow and we feel this is the best way to do that.”

Sarah and Raphael Perrier opened the first Kahwa in St. Petersburg in 2006. The local chain now has 15 locations — five of which are drive-thrus — across Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties. Franchisees will go through a training program which includes coaching and education.

Perrier said this has been in the works for five years and the timing was right to expand into other Florida cities like Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Myers and Naples.

“We believe if we find the right partners in franchising it’ll allow us to expand quicker,” Perrier said. “It makes sense for us.”