Interview with Jake Tran, Owner
Jake Tran bought his first business in the Village (Firebird Café) during the height of the 2009 recession. Despite the dismal economic times, Firebird was able to flourish, and Jake opened his second location (Nest Café) in 2018.
I was lucky enough to come by when Jake was in the midst of roasting a fresh batch of coffee. This is no small operation-Nest Café uses between 40 and 50 pounds of coffee each week. Roasting is a complicated chemical equation and requires heavy machinery and a lot of patience and skill.
It isn’t just the food and coffee that keeps customers coming back. Jake is very social and has made himself an important part of the community. Before opening up Firebird, Jake knew very little about Essex. This changed very quickly. Jake has gotten to see children grow up, attended customer weddings and funerals, and even mentioned a local family that has come into Firebird Cafe for a pork burrito on the way home from the hospital after giving birth to both of their children!
I came prepared for the interview with my recently purchased Essex Hornets Gold Card, which is a discount card sold by local sports teams to raise funds. Nest offers a 15% discount to all cardholders. When I commended Jake for his contributions to the local community, he humbly stated, “Essex supports us, and we are happy to support them.”
The artwork, unique furnishings, “be nice or leave” sign, and general atmosphere has helped attract a loyal following. According to one Facebook review, “I think this place is so great! Wonderful atmosphere, helpful and cheery staff, delicious treats, and amazing coffee. I would definitely recommend this place to someone looking for a good café.”
Nest Café is located at 17 Main Street and Firebird Café is at 163 Pearl Street. Check out their menus and hours on the web at https://www.facebook.com/NestCB/ and https://www.thefirebirdcafe.com/.
Why Essex? “Essex supports us, and we are happy to support them.” -Jake Tran
Why Essex? is a weekly(ish) column highlighting the people and places that make Essex an interesting and special place. Have an idea for the column? E-mail Darby Mayville at darby@essexjunction.org.
Photo Credits: Nest Café, Essex Reporter