TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay coffee drinkers will recognize the logo for Buddy Brew Coffee, a staple local coffee shop with cafes around Tampa Bay.
But, the cartoon dog adorning Buddy Brew's bags of coffee is actually a real dog.
"You know it's funny because originally it was a picture of Buddy; the original Buddy," owner David Ward said. "This is Buddy 2. But, I kind of made (him) into a cartoon and that's kind of how it all started."
David Ward and Susan Ward said they had the original Buddy for many years before they started their coffee brand. Susan said they named the company after their dog because it felt "natural" and because "he was such an endearing part of our life."
"The name started when this was still a hobby and as a turn into a business we decided that we really love what Buddy represents," Susan said. "Which is love, loyalty and really unconditional love and friendship. That's what we try to pass on to a customer every day."
The Wards said Buddy comes to their office every day and has bonded with everyone there.
"Buddy was one of our inspirations and certainly one of our passions," David said. "So that's the advice I would give is to tap into the passion. The inspiration and the thing that drives you and the thing you care most about. And, a lot of creativeness will flow from that space."
The Wards said dogs bring people together, and that's what happened and their coffee shops. They said they've created a new community of coffee-lovers and dog-lovers.
Buddy Brew Coffee has five locations around Tampa Bay. The spots in Hyde Park in Tampa and in Sarasota also welcome dogs.
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