New cafe bucks trend, opens in Downtown Jackson. See what it offers
Donut Shop Downtown is the latest opening for Downtown Jackson.
The breakfast and lunch place on Capitol Street has been a few years coming, but the eatery has opened to large crowds, just a half block from the Old Capitol.
And in opening downtown in the last few days, Jackson's newest downtown eatery has bucked a trend of downtown closures.
Owner Sopheap Meas has owned several donut shop locations across the metro for more than a decade. The downtown location is open Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.
It has an expansive menu of donuts, baked goods, a full breakfast and lunch options, which includes cheesesteaks, burgers, salads and more.
The cafe offers indoor and outdoor seating in a rear courtyard.
While others have closed their doors in downtown in recent years for many reasons, including crime or water problems or the trash crisis, Meas says he believes now is exactly the time to open.
"From a competitive standpoint, we are really the only place that serves what we serve in the area," he said. "There are a lot of places that area already giving us a lot of business, like the law offices and other businesses."
This comes on the heels of the rooftop bar at Capital Towers having made its debut on Friday.
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"There are a lot of great things going on in Downtown right now," said John Gomez, president of Downtown Jackson Partners. "These new options for people continue to make the area more livable and convenient for everyone. The Donut Shop Downtown is great, and I know there has already been a lot of excitement surrounding it."
As for the worries about crime, Meas said that has not been an issue.
"I know a lot of people talk about the crime, but we don't see that as a problem," he said. "I get here very early, and many times, the only thing I see is Capitol Police. They have been so nice. I think the crime is talked about more other places than what is really happening."
There had been plans for the donut shop to be open seven days a week, but Meas has chosen to go with six days in the beginning.
"We have seen there is a enough traffic to be open on Saturdays for sure," Meas said. "I am not saying we won't ever be open on Sundays though. I could see being open for the churches in the area to come and buys breakfast and donuts. We will see."
Gomez said he believes there could be more of a renaissance for the downtown area.
"There are lots of people interested. It seems we are past the water issues," he said. "There hasn't been a boil-water notice for any business in downtown Jackson in more than a year. Safety is not a problem. We have a great relationship with Capitol Police and Jackson Police, there have been no issues in the business district, and business people are seeing that and wanting to be down here."
Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or at 601-573-2952. You can follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: New cafe opens in Downtown Jackson, serves breakfast, lunch
