Last week I shared with you about the rebranding of R.J.’s Grill to Uncle Shug’s on Main. This is not the only area of the Blue Mile seeing exciting activity. Directly across the street, in the Midtown Market, renovations have begun on the final available space. Chazito’s Latin Cuisine has leased the former restaurant space between Savannah Home and Big Boy Cookies. This will be Chazito’s second restaurant location. Their first storefront location is in Pooler. Chazito’s is already well known in Statesboro through their popular food truck. The owner of Chazito’s, Chaz Oritz, and the Owners of Big Boy Cookies, Jonny and Hannah Womack, are great friends. They are members of several food truck associations and Chazito’s often sets up their food truck outside of Big Boy Cookies.
Big Boy began as a food truck concept that added a storefront in Midtown Market last year. Big Boy still operates their food truck at public and private events throughout the southeast. Speaking of Big Boy, they have recently expanded their offerings to include Leopold’s Ice Cream. Leopold’s is one of the most popular ice creams in the south. Leopold’s is located on Broughton Street in Savannah and you will know your close because there is always a long line out the door.
Leopold’s has partnered with Big Boy to allow them to sell five of their most popular flavors. Due to permitting and licensing, you can’t buy it on a cone but you can purchase it along with the purchase of a cookie. Three of the most popular ways people are experiencing Leopold’s locally at Big Boy is as cookies and cream which is a combination of ice cream served with a Big Boy Cookie. The second is as an ice cream sandwich, where the ice cream is sandwiched between two Big Boy Cookies and the third is my favorite a half-baked sundae. They heat the cookie dough and put ice cream on top of it.
They are not venturing out to become an ice cream parlor. Cookies are their primary product. Because of this, they had to get a little creative in incorporating the famous ice cream locally.
Big Boy Cookies also offers soda, milk and Three Tree Coffee with your favorite cookie. Three Tree Coffee has also expanded again by opening a new mobile coffee trailer called the ‘Three Tree Trolley.’ Their desire with the ‘Trolley’ is to expand towards becoming a regional roaster, delivering delicious coffee and espresso drinks all over the southeast.
“We have been refining and perfecting the art of coffee for the past four years and are proud of what we’ve accomplished. Now, we want to share our product with people all over Georgia, representing Statesboro and growing our mission along the way”, said Philip Klayman, one of the founders.
Three Tree Coffee started roasting coffee in 2014 and built their first retail coffee shop location at 441 S Main St. in 2015. Three Tree Coffee’s mission is to use specialty coffee to change the world in three ways: empower their coffee farmers, end human trafficking and engage the community
“The mission has always been people. The purpose has always been to serve and bless people, including farmers, victims of injustice and our neighbors. With the new mobile unit, we can continue growing the business and expanding the reach of our mission”, said Klayman.
Jami Craft has been with Three Tree Coffee from the beginning, starting out as an intern and now being the manager of the Trolley. She is excited to give Statesboro and the surrounding community something new to experience.
“The trolley is a crazy new exciting endeavor that enables us to engage other communities into our mission. We are taking the trolley all over the Southeast and are honored to be welcomed into people’s lives at their weddings, events, and in their neighborhoods. The Trolley is small, but it is doing big things”, said Jamie Craft.
The Three Tree Trolley has already been utilized at trade shows, weddings, and community events. Though the Trolley will be taken all over Georgia, it will also be used locally to give Statesboro a unique experience. Most notably, the Three Tree Trolley will be set up at The Anderson Store every Friday morning from 7a-10a, to provide incredible coffee and food to Statesboro’s commuters.