Cynthia Jolly is blending her signature biscuits with world-inspired chocolates in her new venture, Jolie Carré World Café, opening this Saturday in downtown Owensboro.
Jolly previously operated Boujie Biscuit out of Williamsburg Square, introducing locals to global flavors through Southern-style biscuits. After gaining momentum with her luxury chocolate line earlier this year, she decided to rebrand and expand into a full-service café.
“I started pivoting to luxury chocolates — small and large squares that feature international flavors,” Jolly said. “But my customers didn’t want me to walk away from biscuits. After some long thought and heavy discussions with customers and my husband, I decided to just combine the two.”
The café’s name, Jolie Carré, is French for “pretty square,” a nod to both the shape of her treats and her vision of offering “elegant, multicultural cuisine in a cozy downtown setting.”
Located at 120-A West 2nd Street, between The Pub on Second and Don Mario’s, Jolie Carré will be open Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It will be closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The menu will include Jolly’s popular biscuit meals — such as the Jamaican curry, bacon cheddar herb, and cinnamon biscuits — as well as her new grits cakes, a gluten-free option that’s crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
“They’re toasted and coated in a gluten-free breading. People can put their favorite toppings on them, just like the biscuits,” Jolly said. “I think some people will end up subbing in a grits cake without realizing how good it is until they try it.”
Jolly also makes her own drink syrups and sauces from scratch, such as chocolate gravy and caramel, which are used in her coffee creations. Though she’s not opening a traditional coffee shop, she said customers can expect French press service and international drinks like mango lassi and a creamsicle-inspired orange drink based on flavors from India and the Dominican Republic.
The chocolate offerings are just as adventurous. Jolly creates about two dozen distinct confections, with fillings like bourbon German chocolate cake, matcha and red bean paste, rose petals and saffron, and even a Dubai-inspired pistachio cream topped with edible gold leaf.
“Hardworking folks were coming in after the factory and buying these $75 gold-covered chocolates,” Jolly said. “I loved it. People were allowing themselves a little bit of luxury.”
In addition to traditional seating, Jolie Carré will feature floor seating and a children’s corner, a staple of her previous space. The concept is inspired by her travels and multicultural experiences.
“It’s an ode to other cultures — Indian, Japanese, Turkish,” she said. “It’s important to me that parents have a comfortable place to bring their kids.”
Originally from New York City, Jolly spent time living in Europe and has now made Owensboro her permanent home.
“I’m so invested in this community. This is the most invested I’ve ever been in a place,” she said. “I finally feel like I can say this is home, and I’m loving it here.”
