Rachel Gant and Andrew Deming are the owners of Bar Citra in St. Augustine, an innovative cafe that specializes in coffee production, sourdough, pastries and wine. Together, they craft a welcoming, intentional atmosphere that has something for everyone.
Tell us about Bar Citra. What inspired you to start it?
Bar Citra actually began with the building.
We acquired and renovated the property as a design project, and as we worked through the space, the question became: What belongs here? What would genuinely serve this part of town?
Given the location on the north end near Fort Mose, with its mix of residents, visitors, park-goers and travelers, we kept returning to the idea of a gathering place. Espresso, wine, a full food menu. A place people could seek out for an intimate meal or a quick stop. A space that evolves throughout the day but always feels welcoming and intentional.
St. Augustine has some excellent cafés, but we felt there was room to offer something distinctive. We wanted to be uncompromising about quality, whether in coffee production, sourdough, pastries or our wine selection. At the same time, we wanted the space to feel thoughtfully designed and inspiring without any pretense or fussiness. If we had to describe it loosely, it might feel like a coastal California wine bar meets a Scandinavian café, set in the Oldest City.
Tell us about your background.
Rachel and I come from backgrounds in design and architecture. We met in San Francisco while studying at California College of the Arts. I was completing a graduate program, and she was studying industrial design. Shortly after, we started our first business together, designing and manufacturing housewares and lifestyle products, including coffee wares like French presses and glass brewing equipment.
So, while hospitality may seem like a shift, we have actually been adjacent to the coffee world for years, thinking about ritual, materiality and how everyday objects shape experience.
In 2014, we relocated that business to St. Augustine. It felt like a bold move at the time, but this city has always had a pull for us. For me, it was a return. I first moved here in 2005 to attend Flagler College. Rachel grew up in North Carolina and the Midwest before spending several years in California.
At Bar Citra, we were deeply involved in every layer of the project. We designed the building renovation, the brand, the bar, the banquette seating and the menus (as well as most of the menu items). We handled much of the carpentry work ourselves and oversaw the construction process closely. That level of involvement reflects how we approach everything we do. We care about the details because we have quite literally built them.
Designing products and designing hospitality experiences are not that different. Both require attention to detail, cohesion and a clear point of view.
What do you like best about what you do?
The people.
We love our regulars and the relationships that build over time, but we also appreciate the unexpected interactions. A family passing through on a road trip. Someone working remotely for a week. A first-time visitor who wanders in from the park.
Coffee shops and wine bars have a unique way of gathering people who are in between things, between work and home, between cities, between chapters. Being able to create a space that feels steady and welcoming in those moments is incredibly meaningful.
What is a typical day like for you?
There really is not one.
My days often include facility work, design updates and overseeing operational details. Rachel has been leading much of our event programming and marketing and she is deeply involved in menu development and recipe creation, including all of our signature coffee drinks and the crowd-favorite cardamom bun.
At the same time, we are still involved in residential design projects, so our days move between creative development and hands-on operational work. We are building a strong and talented team, but we remain very involved in the details.
It is a wide range, which keeps it interesting.
Are you from this area originally?
I moved to St. Augustine in 2005 to attend Flagler College and always felt a strong connection to the city. Rachel grew up in North Carolina and later in the Midwest before living in California for several years.
In 2014, we relocated here with our business. Initially, it was something of an experiment. We were not entirely sure how it would work professionally. But St. Augustine has a way of drawing people in. There is a magic and charm that visitors immediately notice, and we have been grateful to experience the growth and evolution of the city over the past decade.
What do you like best about living here?
There is a small-community feel, but with access to great food, culture and history.
The north end, especially around Fort Mose, feels like a microcosm of St. Augustine, with varied architecture, natural beauty and deep historical significance as the site of the first legally recognized free Black settlement in what is now the United States.
We also value how easy it is to get outside. We are often hiking at Guana, kayaking on the river or spending time at the beach. With a 4-year-old daughter and a baby boy on the way, much of our free time revolves around family, and this area makes that easy.
How do you spend your free time?
Mostly outdoors and with family.
We try to stay active through walks, hikes, beach days and kayaking, and we are big believers in simply being outside whenever possible.
We also travel whenever we can, often with architecture, coffee, food and drink guiding the itinerary. We recently spent time in Barcelona, balancing family vacation with what we jokingly call research, visiting cafés and wine bars throughout the city. Our daughter now has her own ranking of the best chocolate croissants. Whether it is a road trip or a new city, we are constantly blending inspiration, curiosity and family time.
It is less about chasing trends and more about staying inspired.
What’s next for Bar Citra?
We are still in a formative season. We are just over a year in and only recently began running our coffee program fully in-house. Right now, the focus is refinement, continuing to sharpen the craft and build something lasting.
We are committed to developing an excellent specialty coffee program and continuing to shape the space as a thoughtful gathering place for the community.
We have hosted a limited number of live music events and plan to continue doing that in a curated way. We are also exploring design-oriented talks and salon-style gatherings, creating opportunities for cultural exchange and conversation.
Rather than expanding quickly, our priority is deepening what is already here. If Bar Citra becomes a place people trust for quality, atmosphere and connection, that feels like the right next step.
