In transforming a nearly 100-year-old building at Post and King streets into the new Cafecito coffee shop, the owners of the business said they aimed to create an environment known in Japanese culture and elsewhere as a “third space.”
The shop at 2695 Post St. in Riverside was established by Kevin Perez Velazquez, lead partner of the GSD Group and Pearl Hospitality Group, which operate several restaurants in the Jacksonville area including Japanese restaurants Norikase in the Southside and Izakayo Ko in Jacksonville Beach.
John Panghulan, of the GSD Group, said that in drawing on the third space concept, the partners hoped to establish a favorite place for people outside of their home and workplace.
“This is kind of like a space for you to come down and chill,” he said.
Toward that end, the partners developed an interior design that includes an olive tree across from the barista bar, tiered seating with small circular cushions, a table where small conferences can be held, and a microcement coating that makes for a smooth finish.
The bulk of seating is on microcement bleachers opposite large windows, where customers use small trays as desks or tabletops. On a recent Friday afternoon, nearly everyone in the shop was using a laptop.
The shop serves espresso, cappuccino and lattes, as well as pastries from the Philippine bakery The Baker’s Son. Prices are $3.50 to $9. Panghulan said he expects the food menu to expand to include wraps, salads and sandwiches.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Panghulan said the interior was a product of “a lot of collective design.”
“I was in New York, in Chinatown. I saw a coffee shop, so I went in, and there’s a big olive tree in the middle. That’s a good inspiration. Let’s take that,” he said. “We believe if you’re well traveled, you see culture.”
JVI Construction of Jacksonville was the contractor. The build-out of the 2,100-square-foot space cost about $300,000, Panghulan said.
The cafe is inside a building constructed in 1927, but the space is modern and airy. Cafecito sources the tea for its matcha from Japan, the partners say. All of the syrups are made in-house.
Panghulan said the cafe is named after a strong, sweet Cuban coffee, which Velazquez’s grandmother made for the family. Cafecito staff is working on its own recipe to serve soon.