New Coffee Coffee Café Opens in Downtown Pensacola, Florida through Crimson Cup’s 7 Steps to Success Coffee Shop Startup Program

From sip to soul, a quaint new coffee shop is nourishing the heart of downtown Pensacola, Florida. Inspired by old Hollywood movies and the cafes of Europe, The Rex Café provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for sipping classic espresso beverages inside a restored Pensacola theater. The new café operates as an extension of Generation Church, which purchased the historic Rex Theater at 18 North Palafox Street and restored its 1930s Art Deco design.

Pastor Renaud said the inspiration for The Rex Café arose from the church’s desire to be a more intricate part of the community.

“We didn’t want just to be a church only open on Sundays, but a part of people’s everyday lives,” he said. “What better way than a coffee shop?”

To learn how to open a coffee shop in Florida, he and Assistant Manager Annie Gray turned to Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea and its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program.

“We were looking for a coffee partner that could help us develop a café that does justice to the unique beauty and iconic history of The Rex Theater,” Pastor Renaud said. “A coffee franchise would not have allowed us the flexibility we needed.”

As Generation Church was searching for a coffee partner, a Honduras coffee professional who worked with the church on missions encouraged Pastor Renaud to contact Crimson Cup.

For over a decade, the roaster has worked with Honduran coffee farmers through its unique Friend2Farmer initiatives.

Once the connection was made, Crimson Cup’s consultants guided Generation Church in everything from writing a coffee shop business plan to laying out the café, developing a menu, choosing equipment, training staff, and more.

“The Rex Cafe has a fabulous partnership with Crimson Cup,” said Pastor Renaud. “From our cafe’s inception until today, they guided through the entire process.”

“They provide everything we need for a successful coffee shop, from equipment support to products. We love using their coffee and other products for our beverages and look forward to growing our relationship.”

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Founded in 1991, award-winning coffee roaster Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup – driven by meaningful local relationships, honesty, and a shared vision for the future.

Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open a coffee shop. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into coffee shop startup costs.

Crimson Cup coffee is available in over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam, and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store.

To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com.