Vietnamese Coffee Shop Opens in Grand Central District With Specialty Foams and Croffles

Say Coffee House opens this March at 2414 Central Ave. in the Grand Central District. Slow-dripped brews topped with specialty foams arrive alongside croffles. The space once housed the Crisp Waffle Company.

The name translates to "obsessed" in Vietnamese. "It means you drink it so much that you're obsessed with it," said owner Haley Huynh, according to St. Pete Rising. "That's why we chose the name."

Huynh also owns Sip Tea Boba in Pinellas Park. She moved from Vietnam to the Tampa Bay area more than 15 years ago to be closer to family.

The shop will bring in coffee beans from Vietnam, which is the second-largest exporter of coffee beans worldwide. Vietnamese coffee uses robusta beans. These pack nearly twice the caffeine of arabica beans, which U.S. coffee shops typically use.

Vietnamese coffee gets brewed using a small metal drip filter called a phin. This method makes a bold, slow-dripped coffee that gets topped with sweetened condensed milk to balance out the bitterness.

Customers can customize drinks with egg foam made from whipped egg yolks, along with sea salt foam and ube foam. "That's what we're going to specialize in," said Huynh. "Vietnamese egg coffee is a staple back in Vietnam."

Other options will include sea salt coffee, which features a frothed mixture of cream, milk, and salt layered over coffee and ice. Coconut coffee blends coconut, ice, and condensed milk with slow-dripped coffee poured on top.

Ceremonial-grade matcha lattes will be available. Fruit tea drinks made with green or black tea bases offer flavors like mango and peach. A small menu of pastries and croffles will accompany the drinks.

Croffles combine a croissant and a waffle by pressing croissant dough in a waffle iron. While not traditional Vietnamese fare, the item has become common in Asian-style coffee shops across the U.S.

Lost & Found, The Floribbean, Hits and Munchies, and Valkyrie Doughnuts already operate in the area. A banner showed up in the window last week announcing the upcoming opening.

Operating hours and a grand opening date will be announced soon.