A Danish juice bar chain known for blasting music loud enough to drown out its blenders is sizing up a spot inside International Plaza. Joe & The Juice plans to open a cafe at 2223 N. Westshore Boulevard in Tampa, occupying the former Vera Bradley space on the mall's second floor, according to seed facts tied to the planned opening.
A Roughly 1,300-Square-Foot Build-Out
The space totals approximately 1,300 square feet and would require an interior build-out estimated at $100,000. No opening date for the International Plaza cafe has been announced. Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that the Denmark-based chain is set to open its first Tampa location at International Plaza.
That framing conflicts with earlier reporting on a separate project across town. Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reported in March that Joe & The Juice would open its first Tampa location at 1350 S. Howard Ave. in SoHo, with a planned 2027 debut. The two outlets' accounts of which cafe counts as the city's first do not line up, and nothing in the available reporting resolves the discrepancy.
The SoHo Site's Fire-Scarred History
The SoHo project would rise on the former Fresh Kitchen site, which was destroyed in a July 2024 fire and later demolished, per the same outlet's reporting. The 0.08-acre parcel sold for $425,000 in September 2025 and still requires rezoning approval before construction can move forward, according to the report. Together, the two sites mean Tampa's Joe & The Juice footprint currently includes two locations in development.
From a Copenhagen Clothing Store to 500-Plus Cafes
Joe & The Juice traces back to founder Kaspar Basse, who worked in advertising before starting the juice bar and opened the first location in 2002 inside Rue Verté, a clothing store in central Copenhagen. The chain has since grown to more than 500 locations worldwide, serving juices, shakes, coffee, and toasted sandwiches — including a Tunacado sandwich built from tuna mousse, avocado, tomato, and vegan pesto.
Music has been part of the concept since the company's early days, with cafes relying on it to help mask blender and juicer noise and to set the pace behind the counter. That blend of healthy fast-casual fare and nightclub-adjacent energy has become something of a signature for the brand as it expands into new U.S. markets, including, it now appears, two separate corners of Tampa.
