Saikō Coffee, a new venture from Sorekara’s former head of mixology, opens this month

He’s been a chef at Zaru, made onigiri at UniGirl and crafted some innovative drinks as head of mixology at two-Michelin star Sorekara. Now Josue Villacis is venturing out on his own and will open Saikō — a sleek modern bar “where specialty coffee meets mixology” — later this month in the Sky Lake/Pine Castle corridor.

Villacis will fashion refined brews with the “precision of a cocktail,” he says, blending rich espresso with unexpected flavor combinations using smoked spices, floral syrups and citrus infusions sourced locally and from Japan.

“Saikō will specialize in cold drinks like shaken espresso and cold foams, but we will please guests with a hot coffee if they want,” says Villacis. “We’ll also stick to the season so, when winter comes, we’ll present hot specialty coffee.”

Think miso brûlée and kinako red bean lattes, and high-quality teas like rhubarb-strawberry matcha with hints of pink peppercorn and lavender. The bar will eventually partner with local bakeries to offer pastries and small bites.

Saikō, which means “greatest” or “best” in Japanese, will be situated inside Orlando Racket Sports, a high-end facility for pickleball, badminton and table tennis enthusiasts at 7059 S. Orange Blossom Trail near West Sand Lake Road. It’s not a glamorous location like Mills 50, but Villacis promises a second Saikō will open there — part of “something big” he has in the works.

The 35-year-old says he left his primo gig at Sorekara to start his own empire, and even founded Beaker & Co., a group to handle all his future projects. “It was a hard decision to leave Sorekara, but I wanted to grow something of my own. It was time to live my own dream.”

Saiko Coffee will open at the end of the month following a friends-and-family period in the third week of July.

Pickleball, anyone?

Follow @saiko.orl for all the latest updates.

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This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2025.