Tampa · United States

Buddy Brew Coffee

Buddy Brew Coffee roasts in Tampa, Florida.

Since 2007 · Dave Ward, Susan Ward

Overview

Buddy Brew was founded by husband-and-wife Dave and Susan Ward, who began roasting on a Diedrich IR-7 in their South Tampa garage in the early 2000s and gave the coffee away as gifts before launching as a wholesale business in 2007. Their flagship Kennedy Boulevard cafe and roastery opened in 2010 — widely considered Tampa's first specialty coffee roastery — and the brand is named after their golden labrador, Buddy. The motto 'Brew Good. Do Good.' has driven 130+ employees, eight cafes, and grocery distribution to Sprouts/Whole Foods/Publix.

Known for

Tampa's first specialty coffee roastery
'Brew Good. Do Good.' mission
Eight Tampa Bay cafes including Oxford Exchange, Armature Works, Tampa International Airport, USF
Sprouts national distribution partnership (2026)
Originally trusted customers with a coffee can register on day one

Why it matters

Built specialty coffee culture in a city with no specialty coffee tradition. The Tampa Bay specialty scene effectively starts at Kennedy Boulevard in 2010 — and Buddy Brew is now the rare US Southeast roaster with national grocery distribution and 130+ employees while remaining founder-led.

Production

head roaster: Dave Ward
roaster machine: Diedrich IR-7 (original, still on display at Kennedy Boulevard); larger production roaster at standalone Tampa roastery and warehouse
cupping frequency: 12-hour roasting and tasting process for each new bean to develop profile
roastery location: Tampa, Florida (full roastery and warehouse just outside downtown; ~3,000 lbs/week, 350 gal cold brew/week)

Café

Flagship: 2020 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL

Recognitions

Tampa Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year (2021)

Sources

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