Jojo’s Espresso: A coffee shop on wheels hits the streets
A new coffee shop started rolling down the streets of Germantown on July 10.
Jojo’s Espresso, a new coffee food truck, made its grand opening stop on the morning of July 10 at The Residences at Thornwood in Germantown.
Jojo’s Espresso is the dream of Taylor and Hannah Whiddon. The couple started building their new mobile coffee shop in February. After a few months hiatus due to COVID-19, the trailer was completed in late June.
Coffee has been a side hobby for the couple. “We have been passionate about it for about eight years,” Taylor said. “When I travel for work, I go on Yelp and find specialty coffee shops to check out.”
The Whiddons explored roasting their own beans, but decided to partner with Memphis roaster Vice & Virtue Coffee instead.
The “café on wheels” serves drip coffee, espresso drinks, cold brew coffee as well as an assortment of freshly baked pastries.
Taylor built out the truck himself, creating a space that feels like an upscale coffee counter. Gleaming white subway tiles with wood accents complement the stainless steel coffee equipment.
“Yes, it is a trailer, but I made a massive serving window so you can see ev
erything,” Taylor said. “It's like an open kitchen, you can see all the machines and everything we are doing.”
The Whiddons also plan to set up tables and chairs outside the coffee truck to create a café experience for those who wish to enjoy their coffee with a friend.
Taylor said Jojo's Espresso will spend most of its time in Germantown or Cordova, two neighborhoods without many specialty coffee shops. The truck will also be available for special event rentals such as weddings or office parties.
Orders can be placed online using the coffee shop app Cloosiv. The truck's schedule will be posted on Jojo's Espresso's social media accounts.
“This is a new adventure,” Hannah said. “It's a journey we can do together as a family.”
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.