FOR LOCALS BY LOCALS: Red Owl Coffee Company

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tristan Harper and his wife Claire are bringing a Georgia-based coffee shop to Florida.

Red Owl Coffee Company opens its first location in the state of Florida, here in Jacksonville’s own Orange Park neighborhood, located at 208 Blanding Boulevard.

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Tristan and Claire Harper, Red Owl Coffee Co. Photo: Tristan Harper, Gen. manager of Red Owl

The coffee shop roasts it’s own beans and offers a wide variety of custom coffee, smoothies, milkshakes, energy drinks, and it also serves breakfast items all day.

The Husband and wife co-owners are transplants from Valdosta, Georgia where they watched the coffee company grow since it began in 20-16.

“While Red Owl was starting, we got to see the first Red Owl come up and as consumers got to see Red Owl develop,” Tristan Harper says. “I worked there when I was in college as a barista. Got to know the owners and they’re really good people. So being in Valdosta, the next closest big city is Jacksonville. We would always travel down to Jacksonville and I’ve always loved this area. So getting to come down here and follow my dreams is just a win-win scenario. We’re really excited to bring Red Owl Coffee down here.”

Red Owl’s soft opening in Orange Park was little over a month ago when the couple shared a memorable spark together.

Claire Harper describes the moment, “Me and Tristan, my husband, got to turn on the two neon open signs at the same time that morning. That was a really rewarding feeling to just click on those light and start serving coffee. We’ve waited for it, you know, we were so excited to be part of the community. So it’s a really rewarding feeling when those light finally got to get clicked on.”

With its grand opening happening Saturday, December 16th, Tristan says the coffee shop is a dream come true for the couple.

“It was surreal,” He says. “This is something that I’ve dreamed about for a long time - Running a coffee shop with my wife.”

Claire says she loves the architecture and character of the coffee shop’s cafe.

She says, “There is so much character in that little cafe. We have exposed brick and exposed wood beam ceilings, and it just has a warm atmosphere.”

Claire shares what the RED OWL’s Grand Opening has in store for customers.

She says, “the first 100 people at 6 o’clock in the morning are gonna get merch bags and they’ll have some goodies in there and gift cards. We’re doing 50-percent off the whole menu - the whole day. We’re gonna have a rock wall and a bounce house, weather permitting. We’re gonna have some good music out there - it’s gonna be a big ole’ party!”

Tristan says their motto at Red Owl is to bring energy and passion to their community in Orange Park.

“We wanna be a stepping stone of the best day of your life,” he says. “We want you to come get our cup of coffee, drink it, and then have the best day of your life - that is the goal of Red Owl.”

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