Jaizon Coffee House Makes an Impressive Debut
- Local Food Fight
- Jan 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 8
I wasn't quite prepared for how unique, interesting and impressive Jaizon Coffee House would be, but now, we proudly add one more local brand to the Local Food Fight "Win List".
Stepping into Jaizon Coffee House is like transporting yourself to a sophisticatedly appointed café in Dubai, in both sight and sound. Jaizon is spacious, bright and clean. The space is outfitted with comfortable, yet practical furnishings - simple yet thoughtful decor and design, with a blend of Middle Eastern melodies with modern jazz as a musical backdrop for an overall pleasurable experience.
When I walked through the door, I was greeted eagerly and informed that answers were available to any questions we had - which is important to note. I am a master baker, chef and self-proclaimed foodie, yet I'd never before laid eyes on many of the pastry offerings decorating the display case.
The most exciting part of the menu is the opportunity to order various types of coffee from around the globe (French Press, Jubani, Saudi, Sana'ani, Mufawar, etc.). Naturally, they serve espresso in all its forms, including the sticky-sweet, iced, creamed varieties, but I was most interested to try Turkish coffee - Copper Dine in. In addition to the coffee, I ordered Beef Sambusas and Pistachio Milk Cake.
Coffee - The Turkish Coffee is served on an impressive gold-tone platter (which sets the tone for a memorable experience), with two small cups and a matching carafe. The coffee was smoking hot, strong and rich with a balanced, round flavor and mellow cardamom finish. Cardamom has a floral quality to it, similar to lavender and often compared to cinnamon, without the bite.
Sambusas - A savory pastry typically fried with a flaky crust, this one was more of a bread-like crust similar to a fried tortilla, filled with ground beef, bell peppers, and wrapped into a neat little triangle. Two of them per order served as a satisfying, savory snack - not spicy at all, but well seasoned.
Pistachio Milk Cake - If you are familiar with tres leches cake, this is reminiscent, but topped with crushed pistachios and dried roses! I was giddy. So creamy, light and cool, it was the ideal finish to my afternoon coffee pairing. In fact, I stopped off at the counter before heading out to grab another portion to take home.
Though they show a few tells of being a newly opened establishment, everything from the point-of-sale to the to-go packaging was well orchestrated, and best of all, they seemed pleased that I was there. I'll be curious to see how the late opening hours (10 am) work for them, as many of us will have had our fill of caffeine by then.
While, yes you can certainly grab and go with a lovely cup of coffee from their convenient parking lot, this is the type of place I would want to linger with friends and visiting family, while aiming to impress them with the knowledge of this special place.
Jaizon Coffee House is a welcome display of the growing diversity in the area, as a new generation of locals shine light on the communities from which they hale, offering new flavors, new perspectives and new experiences. Don't let unfamiliarity keep you from enjoying this new gem in Downtown Florence.
Notes to Ownership - Unsolicited Advice
We generally advise proprietors against using AI generated/stock photos for menus and websites. Take advantage of your lovely tableware and atmosphere, and allow your customers to see what they'll actually receive. Hire a food photographer to adequately capture your offerings or use AI sparingly to edit self-captured photos.
Be careful not to overstaff - though common for newly opened establishments, labor is and always will be you biggest controllable expense, so proceed with caution.
Ensure that your team knows how to properly pronounce and describe everything you serve. In order to warmly welcome those who are unfamiliar with your offerings, confidence, knowledge and a bit of education will be critical for long-term success.
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