Raise A Cup Of Joe In Dunedin On National Coffee Day

DUNEDIN, FL — Whether you refer to it as a cup of joe, brew or java, coffee is a staple in American and a downright necessity in Tampa Bay.

The personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2020's Best Coffee Cities in America and reported that Miami (No. 4) and Tampa (No. 5) ranked behind Portland (3), San Francisco (2) and Seattle (1) for the best local coffee scenes.

But anyone living in Dunedin will tell you that drinking coffee is equally popular on the other side of the bay.

Here are some coffee facts:

Coffee first became popular in the U.S. after the Boston Tea Party, when the switch was seen as "patriotic," according to PBS. And since Starbucks debuted in 1971, the drink is now accessible almost anywhere you go. A recent survey by the National Coffee Association found that 62 percent of Americans drink coffee every day, with the average coffee drinker consuming 3 cups daily.

What gave way to java culture? Science, for one, has convinced us that caffeine possesses multiple health benefits besides mental stimulation. At the right dosages, caffeine may contribute to longevity.

WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 12 key indicators of a strong coffee culture. The data set ranges from coffee shops, coffee houses and cafés per capita to the average price per pack of coffee.

• Miami and Hialeah, Florida, have the lowest average price for a pack of coffee, $3.44, which is 2.4 times lower than in Honolulu, the city with the highest at $8.10.
• Fremont, California, has the highest average annual spending on coffee per household, $236.41, which is 3.7 times higher than in Detroit, the city with the lowest at $63.91.
• Gilbert, Arizona, has the highest share of households that own a single-cup/pod-brewing coffee maker, 25.68 percent, which is 2.9 times higher than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at 9.01 percent.
• Orlando, Florida, has the most coffee shops, coffee houses and cafés (per square root of population), 0.4571, which is 7.5 times more than in Laredo, Texas, the city with the fewest at 0.0611.
• Portland, Oregon, has the most coffee and tea manufacturers (per square root of population), 0.0219, which is 43.8 times more than in Riverside and San Bernardino, California, the cities with the fewest at 0.0005.
• St. Petersburg ranked No. 3 for cities with the lowest average price of a cappuccino.
• Miami ranks No. 5 for the highest percentage of adult coffee drinkers.
• Miami ranked No. 1 for the lowest percentage of households that own coffee makers.
• Tampa ranked No. 4 for most coffee shops, coffee houses and cafes per capita.

The Specialty Coffee Association of America values the U.S. coffee market at $48 billion.
Not only does that indicate how much Americans are willing to spend on the beverage, but it also signals business potential to aspiring entrepreneurs. And Tampa Bay has plenty start-up coffee businesses that have successfully integrated a market filled with national purveyors like Starbucks and Dunkin.

We asked Dunedin Patch readers to tell us their favorites, and the biggest nods went to:

• Tukro Coffee Shop, 472 Wood St., Dunedin
• 9th Bar Espresso, 949 Huntley Ave., Dunedin
• Escape Root Juicery, 769 Main St., Dunedin
• Art Smart Coffee Gallery, 1275 Bayshore Blvd., Dunedin
• Sand Piper Coffee Roaster Cafe, 833 Douglas Ave., Dunedin

Popular nearby coffee shops include:

• Maggie Mae's on the Bluffs, 2961 W. Bay Drive, Belleair Bluffs
• Maggie Mae's Waterfront, 1261 Gulf Blvd., Sand Key
• Knee Deep Coffee Shop, (today receive a free sample bag of fresh-roasted coffee with any purchase), 541 S. Fort Harrison
• The Healthy Hive, 1891 N. Highland Ave., Clearwater
• Grindhouse, 432 Cleveland St., Clearwater
• Caffeinated Bakery, 55 Baymont, Clearwater
• Southie Coffee, 1500 S. Missouri Ave., Clearwater, and 13045 Park Blvd., Seminole
• The Haus Coffee Shop, 3690 East Bay Drive, Largo
• Tea Lounge, 14100 U.S. 19 N., Clearwater
• Hippie Hi, 1814 Drew St., Clearwater
• Bakery Makel, 2140 Drew St., Clearwater
• Van Dough, 2519 McMullen Road, Clearwater
• Basimo Beach Cafe, 1261 Gulf Blvd., #120, Clearwater
• Indian Shores Coffee Co., 19221 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores
• Cafe Vino Tinto, 509 Main St. Safety Harbor
• Ohana Coffee Kava Tea, 11540 Walsingham Road, Largo
• Ready Set Yo, 409 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach
• Gypsy Souls Coffee House, 17465 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores
• La Casa Del Pane, 7110 Gulf Blvd. St. Pete Beach

If you have a favorite that's not on the list, let us know: dann.white@patch.com.

Check with your favorite coffee shops. Many are offering deals to celebrate National Coffee Day.

• Dunkin': Free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase.
• Krispy Kreme: Get a free brewed coffee, no purchase necessary. Rewards members also can get one free doughnut of their choice. Become a rewards member through the Krispy Kreme app or by visiting www.krispykreme.com/rewards.
• Wawa: New and existing Wawa Rewards members get a free coffee.
• Godiva: Godiva is offering 30 percent off coffee bags at Godiva Boutiques and online.
• Circle K: Use the Circle K app and get a free hot or iced coffee in any size.
• Starbucks: Order a grande or larger beverage and get a free drink order through the rewards app.
• 7-Eleven: Download the free app at www.7-eleven.com/7rewards and get any size coffee for $1.
• Barnes & Noble: Enjoy a free tall hot or iced coffee with the purchase of any item from the bake case.Caribou Coffee: Buy any large beverage and get 50 percent off any bag of prepackaged beans.
• Wendy's: Free any size hot coffee with purchase of a breakfast sandwich.
• Panera Bread: Sign up for the MyPanera+ Coffee Subscription and the first month of unlimited premium hot coffee, iced coffee and hot tea is free. After the free month, pay $8.99 per month.
• Pilot Flying J: Get any size hot or cold coffee for free with an offer in the Pilot Flying J app. Download the app at www.pilotflyingj.com/app.
• Target: Get 20 percent off select brews through its Circle app. Some deals include Starbucks ground or whole-bean coffee, Dunkin' and Green Mountain pods and Starbucks creamers. In addition, the brand's new, artisanal Good and Gather line launched its signature fair-trade, organic coffees for the holiday for $7 to $10.
• McDonald's: Get a hot or iced coffee of any size for 99 cents when you order from the McDonald's app.