GulfPerk Credit: GulfPerk
On July 9, GulfPerk Coffee Bar owner Elliot Sutton announced the permanent closure of the beloved Gulfport café in a post on the shop’s social media pages.
“The plan was always to reopen GulfPerk. Unfortunately, that just isn’t how things turned out,” Sutton wrote. “I’m sad to say that GulfPerk, officially, will not be reopening.”
Nearly two years have passed since Hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through Tampa Bay. GulfPerk has remained closed since those storms, with Sutton holding onto hope that the shop might one day reopen.
Located at 3107 Beach Blvd. S. in Gulfport, the coffee shop suffered extensive interior and exterior damage during Hurricane Helene. Sutton declined to provide further details about the decision to close.
When GulfPerk first closed its doors in September 2024, Sutton described the shutdown as temporary. News of the permanent closure came as a surprise to many in the community, and the Instagram announcement drew more than 150 comments — mostly messages of sadness, understanding, and fond remembrance. The shop first opened in 2021.
“I had the privilege of watching life happen from behind the counter,” Sutton wrote. “I watched freshmen become graduates, couples become families, and friendships form between people whose paths first crossed at GulfPerk. More than anything, I’m grateful to have gotten to know so many of you over the years. Thank you for making GulfPerk what it was.”
Sutton told The Gabber Newspaper that he does not own the Beach Boulevard South building; the space was rented.
This post first appeared at The Gulfport Gabber, which is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project (TBJP), a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation. If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication interested in TBJP, please email [email protected]. Help the Gabber keep publishing by making a donation.
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