The CSRA’s newest coffee shop is a familiar name to patrons of the Augusta Saturday Market. After several years of serving the area with a food truck, Lily’s Coffee, Tea, and Bread opened a brick-and-mortar store Monday morning.
The store at 1378 Laney Walker Blvd., within easy walking distance from the medical district, serves Vietnamese coffee, fruit teas, and sandwiches that have been the favorite fare from the food truck. Owner, Lily Nguyen was urged to pick the spot for the store by her niece and nephew who attend medical college.
Nguyen, a native of Vietnam, is no stranger to the food industry. Her mother has a restaurant in Vietnam and before moving to Augusta three years ago, Nguyen served as an international representative for a Japanese seafood company for 20 years. It was during that time that she became interested in beverages.
“I was working with many chefs and I was fascinated by beverages,” she said.
Nguyen strives for authenticity in everything she serves. She imports coffee from Vietnam, the second largest coffee producer behind only Brazil. Her coffee is made using a Phin filter with condensed milk added to it.
“It’s more robust coffee with a strong aroma,” she said.
Her teas come directly from Taiwan, one of the world’s leading producers of tea, and her fruit teas contain fresh fruit. All of the drinks are customizable with varying amounts of ingredients.
“Many customers love our fruit tea,” she said. “At our food truck at the Augusta Market each Saturday, we sold hundreds of fruit teas.”
One of her first customers at the store was a woman who had tried the fruit tea for the first time at the market on Saturday and was back for more Monday morning.
Lily’s also serves fresh-made sandwiches and street food like chicken spring rolls, shrimp summer rolls, and steamed pork buns.
“I want to bring the typical Vietnamese food,” Nguyen said. “Vietnamese always eat a sandwich for breakfast and lunch.”
The authenticity of her food has been verified by some older veterans who had tours in Vietnam.
“They were very happy when they found us here,” she said. “They say it’s very authentic.”
The new business got off to a good start Monday, thanks to social media.
“From very early morning they came,” Nguyen said. “They watched on Facebook and Instagram and were very excited to come.”
The store will be open 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. on weekdays and 1-7 p.m. Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays. The food truck will still be serving favorites at the Augusta Market on Saturday mornings.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/Lilycoffeeteabread/ or find them on Instagram.
