A sweet cafe located in the courtyard of the Lightner; Reflection's Bistro offers coffee, baked goods and a lunch menu that is fresh and homemade. I had the pleasure of chatting with the owner Laura Kohrs to learn more about not only the cafe, but some of the beautiful jewlery and glass art they sell.
What made you decide to open this business?
My husband and I had a glass gallery on Aviles Street. That was our fist business downtown and I learned a lot there. I wanted to move on and expand a bit. I was always in the restaurant business and I know people have to eat especially in a tourist town, so I combined the two businesses.
Did you close the shop on Aviles?
Yes, we did close that location. I had to wait for this location to become available though. I had a Realtor friend watching it for me and it finally opened up and I swooped in.
Is your customer base mostly toursits?
Yes, but there are 300 employees upstairs so I get repeat business from them as well.
Did you create the recipes for the menu?
Yes, I never made a soup before so I practiced until I got down a good recipe or two. I order all boars head cold cuts. Quality is key!
What was it like when you first started?
It took a while to get going. Obviously there is tourist traffic, but this location had changed hands so many times, nobody knew they could trust it.
Do your customers from the Glass Gallery come in to the new location?
Yes, they found us. We still offer some great glass art and they can be purchased at this location.
Where are you from?
I’m from Jacksonville Beach and my husband is from Chicago. He went to Flagler.
What would your customers say they love most about your business?
I will have to let my trip advisor speak for itself. I try to treat everyone like they are coming to my house. I keep it warm and friendly.
What are your greatest challenges?
Being my own boss! Trying to delegate to myself can be difficult sometimes.
What are your favorite things to make on the menu?
The Chicken Salad. This is a recipe I came up with when my husband and I used to travel a lot for art shows. It was something I could mix up and it was easy to eat on the road. It is sweet, savory, and crunchy.
What are your favorite restaurants in the neighborhood?
I love the King Fish Grill, that’s where I bring my friends from out of town. Purple Olive is where my husband and I go for our anniversaries. I like Catch 27 if I’m downtown.
What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had working with a customer?
There is a sweet old man; a widower that walks St. George once or twice a week for exercise. He comes here and sticks his head in the kitchen just to give me a hug. I have several of those customers. I also have a family that brings their 92 year old mother in for lunch, they order chicken salad everytime. They are amazing. The most touching thing is when I have a tourist that is only here for five days and they eat here four of those days. It’s a great compliment!
What are your favorite things to do in the neighborhood?
The amphitheater is one of my favorite things to do. I do like to go downtown when my family comes into town.
Anything exciting going on that customers should know about?
Yes, we are changing our menu a bit. We are adding a turkey hummus wrap. It'll be fresh and cool for the summer!
We try to keep everything local. The coffee is locally roasted on Rt. 16, it's a Kenyan medium roast. We get our veggies from Henry on Rt. 1 and our Cuban Bread is fresh from New Village Bakery. Wind chimes are made by a local artist named Tom Walters. My husband and I do the jewelry. My husband blows all the glass for the jewelry, wine stoppers and cabinet accents. I do all the bead work and the earrings and all.
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