New coffee shop coming to University Park as Ugandan native expands Florida chain
Raining Berries, a fast-growing chain of coffee shops which also offers a food menu, has a store planned for Manatee County.
Paperwork has been filed with Manatee Building Services for interior build out of a multi-tenant shell for the planned store at 8512 Cooper Creek Blvd., midway between an LA Fitness and a Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. A neighbor in the same building would be Louis Pappas Fresh Greek, which opened in March 2020, just as the pandemic arrived.
Bimal Bhojani, 52, who founded the company in 2018 in the Tampa Bay area, confirmed plans for the University Park store, which would be the first in Manatee or Sarasota counties, and seat between 35 and 40.
“Raining Berries seeks to transform the coffee scene. At the core of our mission and our company are people. The laughter, connections, and memories that can be formed over a simple drink are the reason we have dedicated our lives to it. Our ethically and sustainably sourced coffee, fresh açaí bowls, and modern atmosphere invite anyone and everyone in,” the company says on its website.
Raining Berries now has coffee shops open in Wesley Chapel, St. Petersburg and Brandon and has another 15 coming soon around Florida, the company website says.
“We plan to expand across the state, and then, state by state, across the United States,” Bhojani said.
The menu includes seasonal drinks, a wide variety of coffees, frapps, chai/kombucha, teas, matcha, sodas and smoothies.
Also offered: acai bowls, grilled cheese, avocado toast and more.
Bhojani, was born in Uganda, but grew up in London, England, after his family was forced to leave when dictator Idi Amin came to power.
“We have a history in coffee,” he said of his family’s African roots.
Raining Berries, named after the equatorial rains in Africa, and the beans that give the world coffee, buys its coffee from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia.
Bhojani hopes to open the first Bradenton-area Raining Berries this year, perhaps as early as June or July, and says there are franchise opportunities for more.
Each Raining Berries shop includes a conference room which can be booked for meetings seating up to 16. The conference rooms have two large TVs with Chromecast capability.
“Raining Berries is a place to hang out and enjoy,” Bhojani said.
The company pledges to donate 1% of all gross profits to a Raining Berries charity.
For more information, visit https://www.rainingberries.com/.
