Owner and in-house baker Jexter (Jex) Aguiluz said he believed making coffee available from 7.30am each day was just the thing customers needed to get their jive on for the day.
His working day starts at 4.30am, Tuesday to Saturday, making pastries and doughnuts, complete with a jaunty dob of jam on top.
The letter J is important to Mr Aguiluz and his wife Jacque, and their three sons Jeano, Jeashua and Jeaster.
The Filipino family immigrated to Invercargill from the Philippines via a five-year stint in North Carolina, in the United States, after Mrs Aguiluz accepted an early childhood educator role with a daycare centre.
Mrs Aguiluz settled into her new position, but Mr Aguiluz took a little longer to find his groove.
The family had never heard of Invercargill and were quite surprised when they looked up its location.
"It’s like the far, far end of the map ... and we’re like ‘wow’. Then we checked blogs and YouTube and everything we could about Invercargill."
The smaller city lifestyle appealed to them.
"The place we were living in North Carolina, it was just a small town and it’s kind of similar because we are not city people."
But when the opportunity arose to take over the former Asian food store, he knew he found an opportunity to get back into the business he left in the Philippines before the family’s move to the United States.
Mr Aguiluz already knew of the store location, which previously sold Asian food ingredients, and learned the former owners planned to close the store.
"I said, ‘Maybe this is an opportunity for me to open my store’."
After quitting his job, he and the family set to work for the next two months giving the premises a makeover to foster a positive vibe within.
It took two weeks of hard work for him and his son to finish the wall mural.
"It’s kind of special for us. All the words are positive.
"This is like our story that we put on this wall. That’s way we call it the Great Wall of J."
Opening day was also significant for the family — July 4 — United States Independence Day.
There had been plenty of challenges along the way but it was a collective family effort, he said.
"I’m tired, but happy. I’m fulfilled — I’m like the captain of the ship, first to go in, last to go out."
He was still feeling out what the customer demand was before confirming the shop’s opening hours.
Until then, it would be open full days to serve those looking for a good coffee on their way to work, Mr Aguiluz said.
He has been pleasantly surprised by the support the cafe had already received.
"The combination of great coffee, delicious baked goods and a warm, welcoming atmosphere makes this cafe a standout in Invercargill."
- By Toni McDonald
