They say the best conversations happen over a cup of coffee, even the difficult ones for small business owners in the Tampa area who gathered for a roundtable discussion with Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-Tampa) and economists Monday. The conversation came as uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump’s global tariffs is concerning not just those on Wall Street but small businesses on “Main Street.” “It's an opportunity to have a conversation and try to come up with solutions,” said Roberto Torres, owner of Tampa-based Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters, who hosted the discussion. “We're not here to tell somebody this good policy or bad policy, we are here to highlight what's going to happen to our customers.” Small business owners like Torres cited the confusion and uncertainty surrounding the tariffs, as well as the present impact: rising costs that will likely be passed down to customers. "One of my main concerns is how to manage something that is so uncertain," Abigail St. Clair, owner of TeBella Tea Company on Davis Islands, said. She noted her business relies on imported teas, many not grown in the United States. “We have a couple shipments coming through customs next week, so we’ll see how those are affected,” she said, adding that price increases will likely be passed on to customers. Other local business leaders echoed a similar sentiment, saying the fluctuating costs make it nearly impossible to plan. "We don't know from today to tomorrow what the prices are going to be," Mercedes Young, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay, said. “The prices we submitted for our contracts are no longer valid,” she noted about development projects currently in the works.