KISSIMMEE, Fla. – In 2015, Barythaya Lunsford’s friend decided to get a tattoo – but little did she know that tagging along for moral support would be life-changing.
Lunsford sat down and was handed a computer tablet to pass the time, so she started doodling. This drawing led to a tattoo artist offering her an apprenticeship.
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Almost 10 years later, Lunsford has opened a first-of-its-kind business in Central Florida: a tattoo-coffee shop dubbed “XO Coffee / Tattoo Shop.”
The shop is near Walt Disney World at 4965 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee.
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After working in the tattoo industry for a couple of years, Lunsford noticed a void in Central Florida: a place where she could work or hang out.
XO Coffee Shop then opened its doors in August 2021, with support from her business partner, Tony Lyle. The shop is roughly 2,000-square-feet and has four baristas.
The coffee shop focuses on crafting seasonal beverages with its in-house-made syrups. For Valentine’s Day, it will feature a red velvet cold brew. Meanwhile, during the summer, it will serve a ube latte.
It also serves tea, espresso and baked goods from Olde Hearth Bread Company.
Now, roughly two years after opening her coffee shop, Lunford has also opened XO Tattoo Shop in its lobby. Balancing her two full-time gigs as a tattoo artist and coffee shop owner, this led to her wanting to combine both concepts under one roof. It officially opened in December, she said.
“During our building phase, customers would walk by the space all the time and ask what was going on. When they realized a tattoo shop was being built, the expression on their faces changed from confusion to excitement instantly, and that’s when I knew we had something special,” Lunsford said.
To check out the menu for the coffee shop or to book a tattoo appointment, click here.
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