Saikō, the refined beverage house founded by Sorekara’s former head of mixology, Josue Villacis, has been luring matcha, hōjicha and coffee connoisseurs to Orlando Racket Sports on South OBT for their finessed, dare I say, bespoke concotions.
Now Villacis will bring his exacting approach to craft potables and polished hospitality to Winter Park when he opens Saikō next spring at 1251 Miller Ave., just behind the Krispy Kreme and across the street from the McLaren dealership.
The stand-alone space is currently being renovated but should be completed in about six months.
Villacis says he designed Saikō Winter Park to allow guests to have the “best possible experience,” with every detail placed with intention and maximized for efficiency. Most notably, he says, the space will be “built around connection.”
“I don’t want guests sitting there, clueless about their surroundings because their heads are buried in their laptops,” he says. “I want guests to interact with one another. I want a place where people come to connect, and have well-crafted drinks.”
About those drinks, Villacis says matcha, hojicha, coffee and craft mocktails will be poured via tap from a proprietary, custom-built system he’s shipping in from Australia. Taps will be on the counter facing guests and employ a pay-and-pour method of dispensing. The tap system will let guests pour mocktails, like the raspberry hojicha “milk punch,” or even carbonated ones like guava chocolate, he says.
There will be two taps with rotating flavors, one rotating mocktails, the other rotating matcha and coffee. Saikō’s house syrups will also be bottled on-site to sell for home use.
“With this new location, we want to show Winter Park a fresh way to experience matcha and coffee, that is through quality ingredients, creative flavors and thoughtful craftsmanship.”
Villacis says he’s particularly excited about the dedicated parking lot and large outdoor space with seating, which Saikō will have sole access to given it will occupy the main space in the building. He’ll also be teaming up with Elizabeth Delgado of local baking outfit Chøkolat to offer some unique modern pastries. “Our guests love her baked goods. She has so much potential and I just want to help her grow.”
Villacis will run Saikō Winter Park with his business partner, and significant other, Thao Nguyen. As far as the original Saikō, Villacis says he’s negotiating terms with Orlando Racket Sports’ landlord. If things work out, he and Nguyen will operate both locations. If not, the Winter Park location will be their only home.
He’s also instituting a no-tipping policy, inspired by Japan’s culture of hospitality. “We believe attentive, welcoming service should always be part of the experience. For us, that also means providing our staff with steady pay they can count on without relying on tips. We’re building a team that takes care of one another, like family, and we want our guests to feel that warmth when they walk in.”
Until then, follow @saiko.orl for the latest updates, and be sure to visit the original cafe at 7059 S. Orange Blossom Trail inside Orlando Racket Sports.
