Food

A perfect 10

A brightly colored mural decorates Oxford Exchange for the community hotspot’s 10th birthday. | Photo by Oxford Exchange

If you’ve driven past the University of Tampa lately, Oxford Exchange may look a little different. Don’t fret, your standby brunch spot + bookstore is still there. It’s just wearing a brightly colored mask for a little celebration.

Australian artist Elliott Routledge was inspired by foliage when he coated the iconic facade in a medley of lilac, cobalt blues, and baby pink hues — making the building pop among its neighbors. Cassie Greatens, co-founder of CASS Contemporary which commissioned the project, says the artist’s elegant and trendy style was a perfect fit for Oxford Exchange’s vibe.

It’s not the first time the institution has gotten a face-lift. The Downtown Tampa building was first built in 1891 (potentially as the Tampa Bay Hotel’s stables). Since the 1920s, the structure has been occupied by an arcade and a number of other local businesses, vestiges of which can still be seen in today’s design.

Shelves of books at Oxford Exchange — Oxford Exchange’s bookstore stocks new releases, local Tampa authors, stationery, and more.

Owners (and siblings) Allison Adams + Blake Casper opened Oxford Exchange on Sept. 24, 2012 after a massive restoration and renovation, hoping to create a place where folks would just stop by to talk face-to-face and discuss ideas, according to the Tampa Bay Times. In fact, they purposely didn’t install WiFi on the first floor to help keep the people off their devices.

They took inspo from the old world beauty of London’s libraries and social clubs when dreaming up the glass atrium, majestic bannisters and checkerboard floor— hoping to create a must-see space for visitors. And ten years later, OE is one of the first places we think of to bring out of town friends.

The shop has continued to foster great conversation. There’s WiFi all of over the building now, but the shop has become a part of everyday life with its boozy champagne bar, in-house TeBella Tea Co., Warby Parker glasses pop-up, and our fave, OE’s events.

We recommend following the OE Bookstore Instagram to see when authors like Elin Hilderbrand, Carly Riordan, and more are hosting signings. Pro tip: the rosé from the bubbly bar is the perfect accoutrement.

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Today

Community Run & Walk | Thurs., Sept. 22 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | St. Pete Running Company, 6986 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg | Free | Runners and walkers of all kinds are welcome + first-timers get a $10 gift card to the store. 👟

Friday

Hispanic Heritage Month Wine Tasting | Fri., Sept. 23 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Culture Suite Venue, 11968 N. Florida Ave. | $40 | Sample a range of blends from South America and Spain + indulge in charcuterie, tapas, and dessert.

Saturday

Ybor City Bourbon Heritage Month Event | Sat., Sept. 24 | 2-6 p.m. | Big Easy Bar, 1704 E. 7th Ave. | $5 | The first 100 participants get a tote bag to help hold goodies collected on the Ybor City bourbon quest. 🥃
Hotel Haya’s 2nd Anniversary | Sat., Sept. 24 | 4-10 p.m. | Hotel Haya, 1412 E. 7th Ave. | Free | Stop by the boutique, Ybor City hotel to check out its art exhibition, DJ, Flamenco dancers and music, cigar rolling, and anniversary drink specials. 💃
Cocktails on the Courts | Sat., Sept. 24 | 7-10 p.m. | $100 | St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, 559 Mirror Lake Dr. N., St. Petersburg | St. Pete’s historic shuffleboard courts are transported back in time for a vintage 1950s Florida celebration complete with Elvis and Marilyn appearances, a fashion show, and lots of hip swingin’. 🐩
Rays vs. Blue Jays | Sat., Sept. 24 | Tropicana Field | $9+ | Catch one of the last regular season games, and score a game day-ready clear Rays tote.

Sunday

Family Fall Fest | Sun., Sept. 25 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Water Works Park, 1701 N. Highland Ave. | Free | Celebrate the fall season with food trucks, games, character meet and greets, and browse resources for parents and families. 🍁
RJ Jacobs | Sun., Sept. 25 | 3:30 p.m. | Oxford Exchange | $5+ | The clinical psychologist and author reads from his murder mystery “Always the First to Die,” which is set in the Florida Keys.
Bucs vs. Packers | Sun., Sept. 25 | 4:25 p.m. | Raymond James Stadium | $250+ | It’s the first home game of the season, and RayJay will be packed. 🏴‍☠️

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

100+ MORE EVENTS

Your usual coffee could never 💅

Super Coffee is designed to impress your taste buds. | Photo provided by Super Coffee

Not-so-fun fact: One Starbucks Frappuccino contains 52 grams of sugar and 370 calories.

Fortunately, there’s a better option — meet Super Coffee, the nation’s No. 2 bottle coffee brand behind Starbucks.

Think of it as the latest + greatest in latté innovation: Super Coffee is just as tasty (and caffeinating) as Starbucks, but with ten grams of protein, zero grams of sugars or artificial sweeteners, and nearly 200 fewer calories.

Bonus: TBAYtoday readers can try it for free — just pay shipping. ☕ *

SNAG YOUR SUPER COFFEE SAMPLE

Weather

92º | Sunny | 11% chance of rain ☀️
Hurricane Fiona has laid into Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and other countries + reached Category 4 strength as she moves toward Bermuda. Tropical Storm Gaston continues to grow in the Atlantic. Now, a system that could become Tropical Storm Hermine is expected to move toward the Gulf Coast in the next few days. Follow Bay News 9 for the latest updates.

Sunrise + sunset

Rise: 7:19 a.m.
Set: 7:27 p.m.

Tide
Old Tampa Bay

High: 3:07 a.m. + 1:22 p.m.
Low: 7:15 a.m. + 8:36 p.m.

Clearwater Beach

High: 10:03 a.m. + 11:23 p.m.
Low: 3:57 a.m. + 5:02 p.m.

Opening

Calling all Mazzaro’s devotees, there’s a new Italian market in Pinellas County. DeCosmo Italian Market just opened in Pinellas Park. The 5,000 sqft spot is packed with specialty cheeses, local Roman-style bread, wine, an antipasto bar, deli, and lots of pre-made Italian goodness. The store is hosting its grand opening this weekend. 🍝 (Tampa Bay Times)

Civic

Pound the gavel. Tampa City Council approved Mayor Jane Castor’s $1.9 billion city budget this week. The final budget vastly increased affordable housing to $43 million (if council members approve $10.6 million in community redevelopment area funds later this fall) but council members want updates on how to make paying the rent + mortgages easier. (Tampa Bay Times)

Community

Longtime Bay News 9 anchor Erica Riggins is leaving the station to take the role of public information officer for the City of St. Petersburg. Riggins announced her departure on air Wednesday morning, saying she’ll miss the audience, but not waking up at 1 a.m. 📺

Edu

Your voice conveys more than just words. Researchers at the University of South Florida are working on technology that could help identify cancer + depression by the sound of a patient’s voice. USF and 11 other institutions will focus on disorders like laryngeal cancers, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, pneumonia, and speech and language delays. 🗣️ (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Celebrate

Another Tampa Bay Institution is celebrating 10 years. The Bends, a St. Pete staple for live shows, emo nights, and plain good dive bar fun, is hosting an anniversary party. Stop by Saturday at 8 p.m. for a myriad of acts including an all-girl indie band, rock trio, and rap duo. 🎸 (Creative Loafing Tampa Bay)

Arts

Art city, baby. Local artist Ya La’Ford is crafting a new sculpture, named “the Apex,” for the grounds of Hillsborough Community College. The artist is also creating a piece for the Museum of History on the St. Pete Pier. (That’s So Tampa)

Biz

Can we take you behind the scenes? This little blurb is called a Text Ad, and it’s one of the many ways that brands local to Tampa (and beyond) can reach you through advertising in TBAYtoday. Learn more about how advertising (which helps keep this newsletter free to you) works here.

Trending

Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” broke records for new Prime memberships last week, with more sign-ups over a three hour period to view the Chiefs-Chargers game than on Prime Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday. Tonight’s game? Steelers vs. Browns. Join the party with a 30-day free Prime Video trial. 🏈 (CNBC)*

Real Estate

Want to come home to a space that combines relaxation, energy, and luxury every day? (Same.) Ridley at Waterset offers the comforts of cozy Apollo Beach + the city of Tampa nearby. Peep available studio, one-, two- and expansive three-bedroom layouts or schedule a self-guided tour to see them for yourself. 👀 *

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Food

We got the beans 🫘

Two glasses of frothy iced coffee outside at King State Coffee

Take your iced coffee outside to King State’s patio to enjoy the early fall weather. | Photo by @alattewithbrooke

Watch out Seattle (wink SEAtoday), Tampa might just be the next up-and-coming coffee mecca. We ranked No. 6 on WalletHub’s 2022 Best Coffee Cities in America. ☕

Still looking for your perfect local cup of joe, or want to go on a celebration tour? Here’s a few of the best spots to check out (with our recs of course):

Buddy Brew is ubiquitous in Tampa Bay — with seven storefronts/locations + a coffee slinging truck and a TIA stand. And for good reason, all loyal Buddy Brew hounds know the iced lattes + pour overs are incredible.
King State Coffee is one of the comfiest hangouts in Tampa, located at 520 E. Floribraska Ave., with its windowed garage door + bar, plus the coffee is roasted each week for max freshness.
Drive-thru coffee gets an upgrade with Kahwa Coffee Roasters’ drip coffee, iced chais, and ham and cheese croissants. Plus, its storefronts sell cold brew growlers so you never have to buy grocery store cold brew again.

THE WRAP

	Today’s issue was written by Bailey. Editor’s pick: It’s finally sunny. Every time it rains all day I’m reminded that I could never handle actual seasonal depression. Here’s some ideas for getting outside. Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We give the lowdown on Water Street Tampa, here.
Read More

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Editorial: Bailey LeFever, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea| Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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