By Janet Ekstract
NEW YORK – For those who yearn to explore a taste of Ottoman style, the Turkish-American entrepreneur aka ‘Turkish Coffee Lady’ has come to the rescue. For those who reside in Alexandria, Virginia, look no further than the newest coffee café -Turkish Coffee Lady. The new startup, run by none other than the Turkish Coffee Lady herself, aka Gizem Salcıgil White, just opened on January 22 during Alexandria Restaurant week and her vision has now become a reality – a Turkish café and culture house. Turkish Coffee Lady Café brings to life what Gizem told Turkish Journal, she started four years ago – an appreciation for and introduction to Turkish culture through the art of learning about Turkish coffee. As White said: “Turkish coffee is the world’s first coffee brewing method invented by Turks in the 16th century, and is the genesis of nearly all coffee types around the world. Our coffee & culture house is a new take on the specialty coffee experience combined with a timeless journey to Istanbul where East meets West.”
What began as a small online group, burgeoned into a large online community yearning to taste Turkish coffee and to experience Turkish culture. Gizem White’s concept began by getting the online community together to meet for Turkish coffee even though at the time, they didn’t have their own venue. White said that after seeing how popular the concept was, she envisioned taking her brand Turkish Coffee Lady on the road to present to the masses. That’s how Turkish Coffee Lady’s mobile truck concept was born. White made contacts in Europe from her base in the U.S. and began introducing the public to the Turkish Lady Coffee brand and concept through Turkish coffee tastings around the world. The Turkish Coffee Lady truck has visited Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and host of other countries in Europe.
When Turkish Journal caught up with White four years ago, her mobile truck was serving Turkish coffee and sweets at the local summer street festival on New York City’s Upper West Side off Columbus Avenue to great enthusiasm. White said the challenge of being a new mother at the time and creating a startup as a new entrepreneur had its challenges when she first started out. Her vision, she said was to create an actual space where a community of likeminded individuals could come together to socialize and embrace Turkish culture in America and share it with others. Her idea was to do a totally women-owned business because as White expressed, she wants to let women know they are capable of creating their own business. She added that she is lucky to have a great business partner, Hasan Kale who is a world-renowned micro art master who will be showcasing his masterpieces and hosting coffee art shows.
Turkish coffee has a rich history, making its first debut during the 16th century in Istanbul when coffee first began being served in cafes. At first, it was a novelty to drink Turkish coffee because it was something new to Turkish culture which has traditionally been focused on tea-drinking. It is one of the oldest coffee-making methods that eventually became part of the social fabric in Ottoman times. Turkish coffee became a fixture on the Turkish social scene, woven into the fabric of Turkish culture, becoming the hallmark of Turkish hospitality. It was this unique culture that led White, a resident of Virginia since 2008 to create her award-winning Turkish Coffee Truck project in 2012 to share her passion for her Turkish heritage and to foster friendships between societies. It was through her gastro-cultural diplomacy initiative that White and a group of dedicated volunteers traversed America, Turkey, Canada and Europe over the last decade. White’s work was featured in The Washington Post and Instagram for Business and honored by the U.S. Congress.
Even in the 21st century, in all Turkish homes, the first thing guests will be offered are tiny handmade cups of steaming hot Turkish coffee. It is precisely this social tradition that the ‘Turkish Coffee Lady’ wants to share with the world which is why she opened the café. Gizem White has finally achieved her dream of bringing Turkish coffee to the world in America. An authentic gathering space for coffee lovers, with traditional Turkish coffee styles, original cultural tastes, Turkish delights and baklava selections, a mini bazaar, and vintage goods from Istanbul Turkish Coffee Lady Café is unique because the new store’s menu is not limited to Turkish coffee products. Guests can explore a range of Colombian filtered coffees, traditional Turkish tea, herbal teas, gourmet baklava varieties, scrumptious salty and sweet treats, an assortment of exotic chocolates as well as ice-cream products. For those who want to take home a piece of Turkish culture, the café sells sophisticated coffee and tea sets by premium brands from Istanbul
As part of the authentic Turkish experience, the culture house features coffee fortunetelling sessions, a tradition in Turkish coffee drinking, Fortune telling is an ancient tradition and Turkish coffee is the only coffee kind where fortune readers can predict your future by viewing coffee grounds. The fun service is complimentary for customers ordering the combo called “Cup of Delight” featuring Turkish Coffee Lady’s own four blends where 5% of the sales will be donated to women mentorship programs at the Turkish Coffee Lady Visit www.turkishcoffeelady.com, www.facebook.com/turkishcoffeelady, Instagram @turkishcoffeelady and Twitter @TRcoffeelady for more information.
