Vic Cipolla and Kira Lee moved from New York City to Sarasota in July of 2020, part of the wave of relocations that reshaped the area during the pandemic, and they have spent the years since building two distinct but connected businesses downtown. Vic runs DD Roasters, a coffee business built around rare, single-origin beans, including a Panamanian Gesha he calls a personal favorite and an Indian Monsoon Malabar so limited that only 100 kilos exist in the world.
Kira Lee's contribution is on the art side, and it is genuinely unusual. Her pointillism-inspired work is built not from dots but from tiny handwritten letters and quotes, a technique she used to complete a portrait of Anthony Bourdain made up of roughly 300 individually rendered knives. The two businesses share space in downtown Sarasota, giving the shop a dual identity as both a coffee roastery and an art gallery.
Beyond Coffee and Canvas
The couple also touches on side ventures that show their range, including a men's skincare and deodorizer line with an intentionally blunt name, and a clothing line sold at Graffiti with an equally direct message. It is a glimpse at two entrepreneurs who treat every idea, coffee, art or otherwise, as worth building out fully rather than leaving on the shelf.
Roundabouts and Rapid Fire
Asked about Sarasota's roundabouts, the couple describes doing a full 180, moving from outright dislike toward a more neutral view once they understood the traffic-calming purpose behind them, though they admit the light-and-roundabout combinations around town still cause confusion. The Rapid Fire Gauntlet wraps the episode.
From rare Panamanian coffee to a portrait made of knives, Vic and Kira's Sarasota story is proof that a single downtown storefront can hold more creative range than it first appears to. Their move from New York City during the 2020 migration also mirrors a pattern the hosts see across many guests: newcomers who fall hard for Sarasota and build something distinctly their own once they arrive, rather than replicating what they left behind, and their success in downtown Sarasota suggests that instinct served them well.
What you'll take away
- Vic and Kira relocated from New York City to Sarasota in July 2020.
- DD Roasters offers rare beans including a Panamanian Gesha and an Indian Monsoon Malabar limited to 100 kilos worldwide.
- Kira Lee's pointillism art is built from handwritten letters and quotes rather than dots, including a roughly 300-knife Anthony Bourdain portrait.
- The couple also runs a men's skincare line and a clothing line sold at Graffiti.
- Their view on roundabouts shifted from dislike to a more neutral, understanding stance.
“We did a complete 180 on roundabouts.”
Places mentioned: Downtown Sarasota, DD Roasters, Kira Lee Gallery