St. Petersburg

On Monday, August 31, 2026 (5:00pm – 8:00pm), Recovery Epicenter Foundation (REF), in partnership with Good Samaritan Church, will celebrate the grand opening of the Beloved Community Recovery Café on Central Ave. in Downtown, St. Petersburg – West Florida’s first Recovery Café.
Opening on National Overdose Awareness Day, this milestone represents a new approach to supporting individuals, families, and communities impacted by substance use disorders. While emergency interventions save lives, lasting recovery is built through meaningful relationships, purpose, and community. The Beloved Community Recovery Café was created to provide exactly that.
Every overdose reversed represents a life given another chance—but survival is only the first step. Lasting recovery requires connection, purpose, and a community that believes healing is possible. While expanded access to naloxone has saved countless lives across Florida, recovery is sustained through meaningful relationships, peer support, and a sense of belonging. The Beloved Community Recovery Café was created to provide what comes next: a welcoming, substance-free community where people are embraced without judgment, supported by Certified Recovery Peer Specialists, and empowered to build healthy, meaningful lives in recovery.
Unlike a traditional coffee shop, the Beloved Community Recovery Café is a peer-led community gathering space where individuals in recovery, family members, friends, and neighbors can connect, find encouragement, and access recovery support in an environment built on dignity, respect, and belonging.
Through a unique partnership between Recovery Epicenter Foundation and Good Samaritan Church, the café offers food and beverages through pay-what-you-can donations, ensuring that everyone is welcome regardless of their financial circumstances.