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JENNIFER LIBERTOJava Bean, an upscale coffee shop in Coastal Way Plaza, will start serving customers today.
SPRING HILL - When does a pulmonologist find time to plan a new gourmet coffee shop?
Try the wee, coffee-drinking hours of the morning.
From 4 to 7 a.m., Dr. Jay Kumar would work sipping his own home brew, often a Starbucks brand, while his 5-year-old son slept.
After nearly two years of long mornings, he plans to start serving coffee today at Java Bean, an upscale coffee shop in Coastal Way Plaza, which will also offer Internet services, including wireless connections for laptop users.
"I'm an avid coffee drinker and coffee lover, but any time I needed a good cup of coffee, I had to go to Tampa," said Kumar, a Starbucks aficionado who works at the Hernando Sleep Disorders Center.
If history is any indicator, Kumar's road could be bumpy. In the past decade, several independent coffee shops and cafes have faded not long after they appeared in the county..
And competition stands less than a mile away. Not only does the Java Bean stand right behind a Dunkin' Donuts on Cortez Boulevard, but in the next plaza over, Sugar Cone Cafe serves gourmet coffee and espressos. However that cafe, which new owners reopened in March next to the Beacon Theater, is best known for its Working Cow ice cream, said co-owner George Inman.
The Silver Screen Video Cafe in the Forest Oaks Plaza also serves coffee, espresso and desserts alongside its video rental service.
But Kumar is counting on the county's recent megaboom of urban, Starbucks-sipping refugees to sustain his new coffee shop. He scoffs at the idea that he'll be competing with Dunkin' Donuts.
Kumar hand-picked his own coffee blends for Java Bean through weeks of coffee tastings. His coffee comes from Arabica beans grown in the mountains of Costa Rica.
He also plans to emphasize the coffee's freshness, dumping pots of leftover coffee more than 30 to 40 minutes old. His coffee shop also will offer a play area for children and live music on weekends.
Kumar's store bears a striking resemblance to a Starbucks-type shop with its dark interior and track lighting. His prices are also not far from those of Tampa coffee shops, ranging from $1.35 for a small regular coffee to $3.60 for the largest size "mochaccino," a chocolate-espresso drink with steamed milk.
The nearest operating Starbucks is in the Trinity area, with another scheduled to open in Land O' Lakes.
Starbucks has no "confirmed" plans to open in Hernando County, said Jerry Thorpe, Florida marketing manager for Starbucks.
"We welcome Starbucks to Hernando County, so people can see the difference and see how great we compare," Kumar said.
And if business flourishes, Kumar plans to open more franchises throughout the county.
Java Bean's grand opening will be June 11. However, the shop at 13157 Cortez Boulevard will start selling coffee today. Its hours are Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Jennifer Liberto covers business and can be reached at 352 848-1434 or liberto@sptimes.com