Teisha Escobar has long dreamed of having her own restaurant; she has been working hard to make her dreams come true. Escobar Kitchen will soon be opening – hopefully in mid-March. Once the licensing paperwork arrives from the state, Escobar Kitchen will hold a soft opening. (Keep your eyes open – a clue that it’s opening soon will be when the outdoor bistro tables and chairs appear on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant!)
Escobar Kitchen will be located at 116 West Jessie Street, Rushford, in the former Jessie Street Java building. Teisha will still serve the same familiar coffees you loved from Jessie Street Java; she will be using exactly the same coffee recipes. Additional drink offerings will include shakes; there will be specials and seasonal offerings too.
Plans are to serve not only paninis, but also soups, salads, quesadillas, nachos and an assortment of sandwiches including grilled cheese. Breakfast and bakery options will be available; Teisha is planning on adding gluten-free options as well.
Teisha has been cooking for a long time; to her, cooking is a love language. Teisha is one of those people who takes food to people who are ill, or just had a baby or just need a pick-me-up. She calls it feeding people’s souls.
Previous to opening her own kitchen, Teisha had a catering company. She has catered weddings, school and family reunions and office parties. For now, she has put the catering on hold until she gets her new establishment up and running smoothly.
It has always been in the back of her mind to have a food truck. She thought of this as something doable for her with not much overhead expense and super flexible for location. Teisha and her family had been considering the Jessie Street Java location for quite a while. When it first came up for sale, she and her family were trying to sell a home in Houston. It just wasn’t the right time for them.
Since that time, a portion of the former coffee shop has been remodeled into an apartment. With that, the price was lowered for the coffee shop area, making it feasible for Teisha to reach her dream.
Several more booths and a large table in the middle of the space as well as window seating and another bar seating area have been added; Escobar Kitchen has seating for 45 to 50 people now.
Teisha plans to add more commercial appliances eventually so she can do all the types of food she would like to add to the Escobar Kitchen menu. When asked what will set Escobar Kitchen apart from other places, Teisha replied, “Hopefully, my creativity and customer service! Customer service is huge for me!”
Local vendors have been invited to display and sell their arts and crafts at Escobar Kitchen. After noting the lack of gift shops in Rushford, Teisha felt this would be a great addition. Teisha is excited about the quality of the offerings from the local vendors.
A giving tree will be displayed on a wall near the cash register area. Customers will have the opportunity to buy coffee or other food for someone else ahead. The receipt will be attached to the tree and people in need will be able to claim what they want from the tree. “Giving back is a huge part of what I want this to look like!” Teisha explained. Teisha also plans on adding a prayer wall for her customers to add requests for prayers if they want.
People will be more than welcome to request to rent the restaurant for space for private parties; food from the Escobar Kitchen menu can also be provided.
Escobar Kitchen will be open every Wednesday through Saturday from 6 a.m. with varied closing times of 4 p.m. or later on Fridays and Saturdays. You can contact Teisha at (507) 858-9556 or email her at: escobarkitchenandcatering@gmail.com. While she doesn’t have a website, you can find her on Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
Teisha is looking forward to welcoming all her Rushford area friends and looks forward to welcoming new friends. Stop in for a great coffee soon! Remember, if the bistro tables and chairs are on the sidewalk, Escobar Kitchen will very soon be open – or maybe already is!
Larry B says
Do you use the “Push Notification” to let customers know about daily specials?
I get several text messages (almost daily) from companies that I have signed up with to get notifications about specials.
My cell phone number is 507-429-1039