New coffee shop at Spanish Springs? Any info?

[Smalley]

We saw a new coffee shop in progress, right on the square at Spanish Springs. Does anyone know if it's open yet? Anyone tried it? Thanks all,

[shut the front door]

We saw a new coffee shop in progress, right on the square at Spanish Springs. Does anyone know if it's open yet? Anyone tried it? Thanks all,

Is it replacing Dunkin?

[asianthree]

In Dunkin’s old location. Looks the same inside for about 4 months. It’s a chain, am surprised it taking so long to complete. Not sure how it’s going to go over, if one can’t sit and have useless needless conversations for hours on one cup of coffee.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

It's going to be a "CFS" (Coffee For the Soul) coffeeshop. I just checked their website, their menu shows a medium drip coffee at over $4.00, and their food options start at $15 and go up to $20, for just - protein bowls with steak?

I might try a cup of coffee, once, just to say I've tried it. I did the same when Foxtail showed up next to Tropical Smoothie up on 441. But if I'm paying $20 for steak I need wait service and something other than potato chips for a side.

[margaretmattson]

Starbucks was in that location before Dunkin' and failed miserably. Residents did not want to spend $$$$ for a cup of coffee. It will be interesting to see what happens with this third attempt.

[tophcfa]

Starbucks was in that location before Dunkin' and failed miserably. Residents did not want to spend $$$$ for a cup of coffee. It will be interesting to see what happens with this third attempt.

If the K cup machine breaks I might try a cup while waiting for the new machine to come from Amazon.

[badkarma318]

CFS Coffee Shop | Coffee For The Soul | Florida (https://www.cfscoffee.com/)

[margaretmattson]

If the K cup machine breaks I might try a cup while
waiting for the new machine to
come from
Amazon. Lol..My daughter bought me a fancy espresso machine that easily froths milk, as well. I haven't been to a coffee shop since plugging it in. The arepas sound interesting. We had some during a trip to Belize. They were delicious.

[asianthree]

Starbucks was in that location before Dunkin' and failed miserably. Residents did not want to spend $$$$ for a cup of coffee. It will be interesting to see what happens with this third attempt.

Starbucks in LSL is full of old guys in need of company, sitting for hours nursing one cup of coffee. With the return of refills, I don’t ever see them going home. That $3 for them ends up being less than $1, after refills.

CFS, coffee is definitely a step up from Foxtail, but I don’t think SS will be a good fit. Middleton may have been a better choice. After eating in three different CFS, it’s not about the $$, the food product became inconsistent, for a chain that’s unusual. Coffee isn’t unique, definitely better than fast food coffee.

I usually get specialty drinks from Starbucks. There are 3 coffee machines on my counter, one was close to $2,000. Yet here I sit with freshly ground Blue Mountain, and Kona in two French Press, waiting for sunrise.

[Ksarracco]

Starbucks did not fail at that location. The villages increased their rent. It was very popular..as was Dunkin

[Just jimmy]

In Dunkin’s old location. Looks the same inside for about 4 months. It’s a chain, am surprised it taking so long to complete. Not sure how it’s going to go over, if one can’t sit and have useless needless conversations for hours on one cup of coffee.
They are going to have breakfast. Not sure about lunch.

[Glowfromminnesota]

And yet Sumter Landing Starbucks is hopping. First thing my daughter wants when she visits.

[Indydealmaker]

Starbucks was in that location before Dunkin' and failed miserably. Residents did not want to spend $$$$ for a cup of coffee. It will be interesting to see what happens with this third attempt.

Cheap coffee without a drive thru won't produce the volume to pay the rent.

[Marathon Man]

Starbucks did not fail at that location. The villages increased their rent. It was very popular..as was Dunkin

Do you know how much it was raised? Was it more than in the other squares? Businesses are still open at SL and BW.

[Regorp]

We saw a new coffee shop in progress, right on the square at Spanish Springs. Does anyone know if it's open yet? Anyone tried it? Thanks all,

Prefer my Dunkin. If additional coffee shop, probably won't last long.

[Skip]

It's been listed on The Villages Gourmet Club website for many months. Slow renovations. LINK (https://thevillagesgourmetclub.com/page1.html#A013g).

Skip

[Risuli]

I might try a cup of coffee, once, just to say I've tried it. I did the same when Foxtail showed up next to Tropical Smoothie up on 441. But if I'm paying $20 for steak I need wait service and something other than potato chips for a side.

Yeah, we'll see. Would really appreciate a GOOD coffee shop. Went to Foxtail once. Saw they did pour overs and asked for same. "Barista" said she'd have to find the manual on how to do a pour over. Never went back.

[Joe C.]

I don't think that CFS will last a year. Too much "gourmet" garbage. They'd be better off just selling coffee, tea, (hot and iced versions) and lots of doughnuts like Dunkin used to do.
But to be honest, I think that it's the rent that is charged that makes the main challenge to surviving in the villages.

[mad329]

I wish that they would’ve just opened a good donut shop. Leesburg is just about the only place where you can get a good variety of fresh made donuts.

[Smalley]

Thanks for update. When this Spanish Springs coffee shop opens, I'll try to get over there and give you a review.
Thanks to posters!

[RUCdaze]

Let's start a pool on how long this place lasts. We all kick in and pick a closing date. The closest to that date wins the pot. This is a matter of 'how long,' not 'if.'

[asianthree]

They are going to have breakfast. Not sure about lunch.

Post #9 has my view on their coffee and food inconsistency at 3 different CFS locations.
CFS serves breakfast, which is reasonable. Lunch and dinner are the same menu. The fresh items at times looked day old, after a few months from opening.

If the owner was there food and drinks were good, not great for the $$. But stand alone staff was disappointing, which is why I wonder if SS clientele will frequent routinely to make new business successful

[margaretmattson]

Starbucks did not fail at that location. The villages
increased their rent. It was very
popular..as was DunkinWhen I first arrived in the Villages, I worked in that square for six years, full time. Starbucks was never busy. When they had an opportunity to jump on LSL it was adios!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Do you know how much it was raised? Was it more than in the other squares? Businesses are still open at SL and BW.

Sumter Landing doesn't have a Dunkin right up the street. Spanish Springs does, plus they have a Panera, plus Target has a Starbucks right inside their entrance. A Starbucks can compete with a Panera, but not with a Panera, and a second Starbucks a few blocks away, plus a Dunkin with a drive-through half a mile up the road.

If a Krispy Kreme and a Tim Horton's moved in to the area, no coffee shop paying Developer rents in Spanish Springs would have a chance against them.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Yeah, we'll see. Would really appreciate a GOOD coffee shop. Went to Foxtail once. Saw they did pour overs and asked for same. "Barista" said she'd have to find the manual on how to do a pour over. Never went back.

Even Dunkin Donuts isn't any good now, since they don't serve in styrofoam cups anymore. I can taste the paper cup, and the Dunkin up the road here serves it WAY too hot. You'd think they would've learned from that lawsuit years ago when the woman spilled it and got second- and third-degree burns on her stomach, crotch, and thighs.

Once in a great while I'll get a Pike's roast at Starbucks. Like, if it's my birthday week and they give me a free sandwich. I'll get the cuppa mostly out of guilt since I never go if I'm not getting free stuff.

Back home we had Willoughby's, they roasted on-site every day. Low-temp slow-roast, which is how it keeps it from getting that bitter over-acidity burnt taste. On Tuesdays they'd feature Sumatra Mandheling and that's when I'd stock up if I was running low. It's a medium-light roasted coffee with a deep nutty base that lingers if you put just a touch of sugar in the cup.

Before that, after college, I worked for the Coffee Connection in Boston as a "back-bar." Mostly I did the fresh squeezed juices, whipped the whipped-cream (we made chocolate whipped cream fresh every day), and prepared the hot sandwiches. Someone else handled the coffee and tea drinks, and all coffee except for espresso drinks was served in a french press. It was a small local chain, maybe 4 stores total, and they roasted their beans as well in their main store.

[BostonRich]

Just checked their menu. You got to be kidding. $20 sandwiches! Who is going to pay those prices? Not me.

[Janie123]

And yet Sumter Landing Starbucks is hopping. First thing my daughter wants when she visits.
It’s called an addiction… when I did the math one year and spent was well over $1000 on Starbucks and came back from Europe where a latte or cappuccino were about $1.5, I bought a $100 Mister Coffee espresso machine and a 2.2lb back of Italian roast beans at Home Goods, my lattes were now $.25 with most of the cost being milk.

[Risuli]

If a Krispy Kreme and a Tim Horton's moved in to the area, no coffee shop paying Developer rents in Spanish Springs would have a chance against them.

I agree. Of all the chain coffee shops I like Tim Horton's regular coffee the best. Can't say I like any of their baked goods though. As for Krispy Kreme, you cannot beat getting one of their original doughnuts right hot off the line. They are to die for. But, all said, I'd be more than satisfied if Donut King were to open in the Villages!

[Rodneysblue]

Is it replacing Dunkin?

Yes

[Win1894]

Starbucks in LSL is full of old guys in need of company, sitting for hours nursing one cup of coffee. With the return of refills, I don’t ever see them going home. That $3 for them ends up being less than $1, after refills.

Yet here I sit with freshly ground Blue Mountain, and Kona in two French Press, waiting for sunrise.

Hah! Being a committed coffee snob I can completely identify with this sentiment. I never buy coffee from SB or Tim Horton (just as bad as SB). I know something about the over-roasted and stale-burnt taste of SB coffees as one of my fraternity brothers was the technical director at SB Corp. in Seattle for a number of years. I do buy freshly roasted whole bean Blue Mountain and Kona direct from the roaster, grind fresh, and brew at home. They are expensive on a per pound basis but are still somewhat cheaper than the chain coffees on a per cup basis. But the taste is so vastly superior to SB, TH, Panera, etc. The only coffee that comes close to home brew near TV is The Standard on Bella Cruz Dr.

[Michael 61]

When I first arrived in the Villages, I worked in that square for six years, full time. Starbucks was never busy. When they had an opportunity to jump on LSL it was adios!

Why do you think that is? I arrived in TV in late 2022, and the Starbucks at LSL is always very busy year round. Why was that not the same in SS I wonder?

[BobnBev]

If the K cup machine breaks I might try a cup while waiting for the new machine to come from Amazon.

Walmart has them on sale, just got mine.

[barbara828]

Or an apron for $150

[margaretmattson]

Why do you think that is? I arrived in TV in late 2022, and the Starbucks at LSL is always very busy year round. Why was that not the same in SS I wonder?
1. At that time, average home price was apprx $75,000 for a designer home. Schwartz wanted everyone to live like a millionaire. It was his marketing strategy. Most who bought into that dream were not wealthy.

2. During construction, LSL attracted wealthier buyers from other states, primarily New York. The homes were selling like hotcakes similar to post covid and home prices soared. Nearly 2.5 - 3 times the cost of homes prior. A business like Starbucks needs to be located in a wealthier area. When they saw an opportunity, they hopped on it.

3. I believe another poster explained there are several coffee shops within a mile or two from Spanish Springs. At that time, the cost of their coffee remained relatively cheap. At sit down restaurants, coffee was free with a meal. Starbucks $4 -$5 for a cup of coffee was absurd to most.

4. Every decade of retirees are different than those before. The early 2000 retirees were not yuppies. Most worked in factories, steel mills, etc. They had no interest in expensive items.

5. Much much smaller population than now. The Villages was similar to Mayberry- one small police station, one gas station, one grocery store etc. Folks primarily stayed home at night. Some only went to the square when they had guests.

I think you have the gist. The Villages was a much different place than today. This is the reason some complain about the housing explosion. They miss the simple times.