When Lily Nguyen opened a café in Augusta last summer, she already had a loyal customer base who knew her from The Augusta Market, but business has increased exponentially ever since, thanks to its proximity to Augusta University and the downtown medical district.
Nguyen owns Lily Coffee, Tea & Bread located at 1378 Laney Walker Blvd., Suite 101, which she opened on Aug. 1, 2022. The shop was formerly occupied by Humanitree House.
Nguyen also sells boxes of Vietnamese coffee in her shop and provides them to Asian markets, including the Cho Ba Mien Asian Market at the corner of Washington Road and Davis Road in Martinez.
“The customers really enjoy our food and drinks,” said Nguyen, who has worked in the food and beverage industry for 20 years. “We really appreciate our customers.”
The café serves not only Vietnamese coffee, which is strong and made with condensed milk, but also various flavors of fruit tea and boba tea, including matcha green, taro milk, and peach-orange teas.
“Our fruit teas are made with fresh fruit,” she said.
Nguyen also serves various food items, such as spring rolls, dumplings, and Vietnamese sandwiches, which are called banh mi.
“We are sharing authentic Vietnamese food,” she said.
Nguyen still has a food truck that’s on the road three or four days a week, which she takes to various locations, including Augusta University Medical Center, Piedmont Augusta, and Columbia County Food Truck Fridays.
“We go to the Augusta Market every Saturday,” Nguyen said.
She has also catered events for both the Dental College and Medical College of Georgia.
“This location is good for us because we have students and people working in the hospital,” she said.
Lily Coffee, Tea & Bread is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the café’s Facebook page or call 762-215-1876.
