Today we’d like to introduce you to Selina Kitler.
Hi Selina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have had the God-given dream to open a coffee shop for 20 years! So in 2021 we started renting a building took us about a year to renovate with my husband and we opened the doors in 2022 and in June of this year it will be four years! I love serving and baking, but more than that, I love people! Owning a small business is a lot of work. It takes a lot of faith and endurance to keep going, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
I’m a mother of three grown children, grandmother of 5 and have been married to my husband for forty years! He doesn’t work with me at the shop, but supports me in every endeavor I have! My dream is to eventually have a place where kids can come to and have a safe place to go on the weekends to hang out with their friends in a positive atmosphere!
I love the community of Nassau County and look forward to many more years here!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The building is the original post office in Yulee and is over 60 years old, it has been several things since then but not a coffee shop so we had to take walls down, replace windows, sheet rock, bathroom, plumbing, electrical etc it took us a year before we ever opened the doors my husband did most of the work his self but we had many friends and family help which we are so thankful for!
The building/strip went up for sale the day we opened! I can’t say my faith wasn’t shaken but I knew this was the place God opened for me, after several failed contracts and a year of the unknown, One Baptist Church purchased the strip and allowed me to stay! through So yes, there’s been lots of obstacles but you gotta keep going when you know this is what you’re supposed to do!
Financially, it’s been a struggle with coming in right after Covid then with the economy on the rise food has been outrageous so that has been obstacle and then about year after I opened I had to have an open heart surgery to have a valve replacement. I underwent open-heart surgery on May 1, 2023 I had my chest cracked open and replacement of my valve but in 5 weeks I was back at work! So thankful for a great team and my daughter in law coming on and keeping things going for me.
As you know, we’re big fans of Selina’s FriendSip cafe . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a small café with a big personality when you come in the café there is a sense of warmth. I pray over my café, as well as my team I have a great group of ladies that support my dream and through working together it has become their dream as well. We are here to serve and encourage the people that come in, we will pray for you and I believe in positive encouraging words are so needed today, because we live in a society that’s not always encouraging so when you come in, it’s important to me that you feel good after you leave.
I bake my goods at the cafe I love to bake and will try anything so I love suggestions from my customers for different bake goods, we also make most of our coffee syrups with exception of the sugar free so they are dye free. Our coffee is a green bean organic and is roasted locally. We also offer ice tea and hot tea as well as hot chocolate, frozen drinks and yummy milkshakes! My specialties are pound cakes and our energy balls. I have created what we call Yulee scones and try to keep them in the case weekly.
We also serve breakfast sandwiches, homemade biscuit with sausage gravy, grits bowls and some delicious homemade chicken salad on croissants! I think our coffee is the best its super smooth and offer the best decaf so with that we have decaf espresso drinks as well. My coffee is a special blend that me and my roaster created especially for my shop.
We also will offer special orders for cakes, and our delicious cinnamon rolls and any of the goodies that we sell for parties, office get togethers or any special occasion.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think the way we care about our customers and their needs are what sets us apart our quality drinks and food
We want our customers happy and satisfied with what they spend their money on
We also offer hugs, encouragement, and prayer
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @friendsipcafe
- Facebook: Selina’s FriendSip cafe
