Know. Taste. Care.
When I was a senior in college, I worked part time at a coffee house. For me, it was the best of all worlds. My boss worked around my school schedule, I had a source of income, and best of all I got free coffee during work. I was able to be a part of watching the business change and grow, and I learned so much about coffee and tea and owning a business while working there. Even after I left there as an employee, I continued to go back as a patron, and have kept my love of coffee ever since. After moving to Biloxi this past August, I was curious about whether or not I could find a cute little coffee shop to frequent. Lucky for me, I was introduced to Jacked Up Coffee, which happens to be right down the road from where I live and work. Not only does Jacked Up have delicious coffees, they also offer a variety of alcoholic beverages, a variety of tasty mini monkey breads, and Jacked Up merchandise.
Know.
I stopped by this week to chat with the owner, Dixie Newman, and learn a bit more about what Jacked Up means from her perspective. When I asked her about why she decided to open Jacked Up, she said that the idea came from wanting to revitalize the Howard Avenue area of Biloxi. As with a lot of towns along the coast, Biloxi was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. While the city has made huge strides over the past decade, some areas of town still leave a little left to be desired. Dixie and her family own and run the Howard Avenue Emporium and have long wanted to spruce up the area surrounding their business.
Dixie and a handful of other business owners in the area also came together to form the Howard Avenue West End Merchants Group, and have plans to work together in the future to set up recurring events such as First Fridays that they hope will draw people to these tucked away treasures. Such partnership have already started to grow and flourish. Next door to Jacked Up Coffee House is Southern Bound Book Shop, complete with connecting door. Because really, what can be better than a cozy nook, with a cup of warmth and a good book to read? If you haven’t stopped by, you should definitely swing in and check it out. The partnerships and plans don’t stop there. Soon, Jacked Up will be hosting poetry readings, acting and song nights, book club meetings, Like Minded Ladies and many more fun filled evening events, open to members of the community. After speaking a bit about the history and current success of the coffee shop, I wanted to know if Dixie had any exciting plans for the future of Jacked up. She has been invited to cater a few special events in the near future and is hoping to fulfill those requests by adding a Coffee Cart to her bag of tricks, and maybe even a food truck further down the line. With the many around the town events that take place throughout the year, being able to get mobile and stay involved is something she is very much looking forward to.
Taste.
To enjoy a cup of truly great coffee, you have to start with a premium product. Jacked Up Coffee Bar has teamed up with French Truck Coffee based in New Orleans, Louisiana. French Truck sources its coffee from countries all over the world, such at Kenya, Peru, Columbia, and more. They are also very intent on educating their followers on where their products comes from, sharing stories and pictures about each location and producer they work with. If you are a coffee aficionado interested in the coursing and processing of coffee, I recommend taking a look at their website and learning more. (Links are located at the bottom of this post). Dixie says “We not only provide the best premium coffee to the Mississippi Gulf Coast but to also provide a unique experience in our area.” And unique is exactly what you get. As you would expect, Jacked Up offers your familiar espresso based concoctions of lattes and cappuccinos, regular old fashioned brewed roasts, and the elegant pour over. However, they will invite you to “Come to the dark side. We have coffee. And liquor.” Be it whiskey, vodka, or some other preferred form of alcohol, you can add a bit of bite to your favorite caffeinated beverage. And since drinking on an empty stomach is ill advised, pairing your drink with some Pesto Monkey Bread, or pita chips with hummus can round out to be quite the lovely meal.
Care.
In a world full of brands that are household names like Starbucks and Dunkin Donut, it is refreshing to find a little hole in the wall place that creates an inviting atmosphere for people of all walks of life. Jacked Up Coffee House holds themselves to a higher level of quality. “Our partner French Truck Coffee and us at Jacked Up Coffee Bar adhere to premium quality sourcing, roasting, and preparation practices established for the specialty coffee trade. We have a keen focus on standards and excellence from start to finish. Serving you ethical coffee matters to us. Not only is our coffee ethical, It is delicious!” To further their philanthropic mindset, Jacked Up Coffee House regularly supports local non-profits and other service oriented organizations through donations for special events in the form of merchandise, gift cards, using the shop as a space to meet and more. Even the smallest contribution can make the biggest difference.
So, whether you’re grabbing a morning cup o’ joe on your way to work, or sitting for three hours with your chair latte to work on homework assignments, Jacked Up Coffee House is the perfect place to go. It’s not every day that you find a hidden gem such as this, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Go check it out for yourself!
~Kelly
Devine Perks 