Downtown St. Pete has a new option for quick caffeination. Café Tuk Tuk is a walk-up, European style espresso cart located on the corner of Central Avenue and 1st Street.
Run singlehandedly by a local named Maite Wallace, Café Tuk Tuk just made its debut this Monday, and is currently open daily from 7 am until around 12 or 1 pm. Wallace has plans to eventually stay open from 7 am to 7 pm or later once she gets an umbrella and stand for the mobile café.
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The cart takes its inspiration from the walk-up cafes and stands in Europe where anyone can grab a quick espresso or macchiato and be on their way. Café Tuk Tuk’s offerings include espresso, tea, chai, matcha, pour over, Americanos, cappuccinos, and hot and iced lattes, all at extremely reasonable prices.
While she is a Florida native and has lived in St. Pete for most of the last decade, it was Wallace’s time living in Germany that helped inspire the concept. She loved the ability to find good and affordable espresso on the go no matter where she went, and she wants to bring that experience to St. Pete.
On the price point, she is more than competitive, offering her drinks for as little $2, and even the most expensive – a mocha latte – is only $4. On the European vibes and ease of ordering – check and check.
Guests can stroll up any time to order, and there’s a serving platform on the other side of the cart if they’d like to stay for a quick espresso and listen to the music she has playing over the speakers. In the near future, she plans to have ceramic cups for serving those who stay at the cart for a quick drink. She will also have decaf drinks soon, as well as Dutch waffles.
Through it all, she hopes to give St. Pete the European style of coffee it deserves.
“I’m just focusing on good coffee and good prices,” Wallace said.
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