Image courtesy of White
The Turkish Coffee Lady, Gizem Salcigil White
A taste of Turkey is coming to Old Town.
Gizem Salcigil White, who is known as the Turkish Coffee Lady, is opening a shop at 1001 King Street, a building formerly occupied by Blüprint Chocolatiers.
The new shop is far from White’s first accomplishment.
She began sharing her love for Turkish coffee on a large scale in 2012 when she and a group of volunteers started the Turkish Coffee Truck, with a goal of bringing cultures together through one of the most universally popular drinks – coffee. The truck traveled across America, Turkey, Canada and Europe on its cultural diplomacy mission.
In 2017, White set out to start the first chain of Turkish coffeehouses in the United States. She opened her first location inside Tysons Corner mall, while raising her young daughter and battling breast cancer. The coffeehouse was doing well, and White had plans to open a second location at the Dulles Airport in 2020.
Like many small businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic forced White to close the coffeehouse, but she didn’t let it stop her.
She pivoted and began to host cultural events virtually and started her own coffee label, with each blend named after one of Turkey’s rich heritage sites like Istanbul (traditional blend), Aegean (mastic gum flavor), Cappadocia (cardamom flavor) and Mardin (mixed flavor).
Photo by Alexandria Living Magazine
White also founded the world’s first coffee diplomacy foundation, the Turkish Coffee Lady Foundation to further her mission of building cross cultural friendships through coffee. She also empowers female entrepreneurs through a “Entrepreneurial Ladies Club.”
White’s passion for Turkey and its culture is strong, just like the coffee she brews and serves in the traditional Turkish style. While it is commonly known that coffee beans were discovered in Ethiopia in the 10th century, fewer people realize that Turkey is the first country to brew coffee the way we know it today.
Photo by Alexandria Living Magazine
In the 16th century, coffee had reached Turkey and they developed a way to roast the beans, grind them up and boil them in water. The first coffeehouse opened in Instanbul in 1554 and from there, coffee’s popularity and coffeehouse culture spread rapidly.
Turkish coffee is made in a small, long handled pot called a cezve. The coffee is very finely ground and often spices like cardamom or mastic are added. The grounds settle at the bottom of the pot and a foam forms on top.
The unfiltered coffee is then poured into small cups and served with a glass of water and a dessert. It is meant to be savored slowly and sipped from one side of the cup. “It has a ritual, it is not just grab and go coffee, it is not a caffeine rush. It is all about experiencing the culture,” explained White.
No Turkish coffee experience is complete without having one’s coffee grounds read. The coffee drinker makes a wish, puts the saucer on top of the cup and twirls it three times. The coffee cup and saucer are then flipped close to the heart and a fortune is read from the coffee grounds left in the cup. Coffee ground readings will be offered at White’s new shop, although she pointed out that it is a beloved tradition and not a psychic service.
Photo by Alexandria Living Magazine
While the pandemic may have forced White to close her first shop, it also allowed her to open her new location in Alexandria.
“This area [Alexandria] was always my favorite, when my mom comes, when my family comes. And when I got pregnant, this again was our favorite spot. We just love this area, it is so unique and so diverse. I never thought of opening a shop here, it is a really prestigious area and I am a small business owner, but with this pandemic, new opportunities came up,” explained White. Rents were lower and she became an early recipient of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. When a realtor friend suggested she take a look at the white brick building at the corner of King Street and N. Patrick Street, White immediately fell in love.
In addition to serving and selling Turkish coffee and coffee accessories, the shop will also sell pastries like baklava and Turkish delight. It will feature gift items, cultural artifacts and host events. More importantly, the shop will share Turkish culture through not only coffee and food, but also showcase music and art and will be welcoming to people from all backgrounds.
“Our mission is not to be only a regular coffee shop, just selling coffee and sweets, but we have a very strong mission. We want people to come to our shop, where cultures meet. We want them to experience Turkey’s rich heritage, history and at the same time the coffee history, because coffee brings people together,” said White.
Photo by Alexandria Living Magazine
Work by Hasan Kale
Hasan Kale, who creates incredible art from coffee grounds. He specializes in creating micro scenes, as pictured to the left, and has been nicknamed “Turkey’s Microangelo”. He will have a studio on the lower level of the shop and will offer art workshops and demonstrations of his unique work.
White and Kale also worked together over a period of 16 days in Turkey to film an hour-long documentary called “Turkish Coffee Tales of Anatolia” which showcases Turkey’s stunning geographical, historical and cultural beauty. The documentary will premiere at a private event in advance of World Turkish Coffee Day which is observed every Dec. 5.
It will be screened for the public on Dec. 22 at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial (details will be added to the Alexandria Living Magazine online events calendar once available). The documentary will also play in the new shop.
White plans to open her Alexandria shop in mid to late December once permitting and renovations are complete. She hopes that Alexandria will serve as a flagship location for many more Turkish Coffee Lady coffeehouses in the future. Find out more about the Turkish Coffee Lady and the foundation at www.turkishcoffeelady.com.
