As a Jacksonville local for all of my life, I’ve come to realize just how little of this vast city I’ve yet to explore. Local events to find and hang out at, local brands and shops that need exploring, and local food stops that need savoring – becoming a college graduate for hopefully the last time has made me want to live life more and experience all that I can around me. There’s a certain fatigue and feeling of specific social separation that hits from being a student for most of your life, even with all the exciting things you’ve learned and done over the years, but that’s a post for another day. Right now, while chugging at my retail job and taking a break from figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life, I want to just drink coffee and just take it all in on my free days.
So that’s why I’m beginning to write about my experiences with going into all of these local coffee shops around the city. Both to get my writing back up and running (even while relaxing, my mind needs some sort of creative grind to chew on), and also to highlight all of these amazing places for all of you dear readers to enjoy! Hopefully through my own journey, you all can find new places close to you that you’ll come to sit and relax at as well.
My first stop in this new self-directed series is a cute and cozy little coffee shop named Tetherball Coffee, nestled in a quiet shopping center right across from the South Mandarin Library and near where the old Bealls is laid to rest.
Started in late May 2021 (at least from their first blog post made on their website, linked here), Tetherball’s founder Eli states that they came up with the name for the coffee shop through their mission statement “…to give people the energy to keep hitting that ball, both literally and emotionally.” And the place certainly feels lively, with the lively colors and plant decor sprinkled, giving your mind an energy boost, and in the way that it feels like the baristas and owner alike treat each customer with an upbeat kindness. Everyone felt very approachable and sweet, with that down-to-earth quality that makes it feel like you’re just having a quick chat or check-in with a friend rather than a transaction. Watching them chat with what I assumed was regulars or friends while working, giving people recommendations based on their tastes, and answering my questions casually and honestly – it makes you feel at home in the place.
Of course, you can’t talk about the food place without bringing up the food! All of their foods and coffees are sourced by small business owners – Their breakfast empanadas are made by The Empanada Lady Jax. Their coffee is primarily produced by Valor in Atlanta, GA, and their tea by Hugo Tea Co. in Kansas City, MO (though they cycle their coffees and teas with different highlighted companies sometimes, so as to give their usual growers time for their plants to mature). Their bakery items are cycled every week or two through Spoonful Bakery Jax, with vegan and gluten-free options as well, and things such as their granola and other small touches are made in-house. Their menu inside may look small (even smaller in the picture I took, though that was because I caught them when they were in between seasonal specials), but it packs so much local and small business love, and equal parts customization to whatever you were craving.
The choices I decided to go with were their Double Dutch Latte and the bacon, egg, and cheese empanada. The latte when it was brought to me in their in-house mugs, was almost too cute to drink or eat, with the whipped cream dyed a soft pink and the chocolate chips added for a sugar overload. This latte was dangerous in how not-coffee tasting it was, feeling like a little kid drinking a hot cocoa around Christmas time rather than an adult with sophisticated coffee tastes. If any of you out there have a sweet tooth, this drink is sure to feed into that craving.
The empanada, on the other hand, was a nice bite of savory goodness. I also almost feel bad eating it, what with the cute little heart drawn onto each one every person got, but I dove right in anyway. The green onion on the inside added an extra layer of flavor this bite definitely deserved, and the breading was sturdy and soft at the same time, obviously made with care for Tetherball to hand out and for their customers to enjoy. Whenever I’m able to visit The Empanada Lady in their standalone store, I’ll make sure to sample more of their good eats and report on more yummy finds!
After my delicious meal and asking for the owner’s permission to write an article on how much I enjoyed my time and meal, Eli and the barista I talked to were both very encouraging and wished me well on my writing journey. They talked of always supporting the local scene however they could, and finding joy in how their coffee shop can elicit responses like mine from people as well. I hope that for both of you, and for all your team reading this, that my written experience may lead to more happy ones for other locals in the future.
Thank you to everyone in general who took the time out of their day to read this article of mine! I hope to publish something like this bi-weekly and track my journey of tasting all the local coffee Jacksonville has to offer. Until next time – remember to treat yourself however you can, whenever you can! You deserve it!
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A local girl with a love of writing and food, who has transitioned into writing articles about all the local food spots, in order to encourage everyone to explore and take in the tastes of their community! With a bachelor’s degree in Communications & Media from FSCJ and a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies – Film & Screenwriting, I hope to get the community more engaged with their surroundings and take in all they have to offer! I’m glad if any of my articles encourage anyone to try new things or get out into the world!
Roughly bi-weekly uploads, but also taking everything one day at a time and going at my own pace~ Also will cover more than just food; looking forward to all of the local events I can attend on our First Coast as well!
One Response
Love this idea and look forward to following revues of local spots☕