Jackson Jambalaya

So sad. I really think staffing woes contributed to their closing. It took an act of congress to get an oat milk latte in a timely fashion towards the end.

This happened weeks ago. This is news?

"oat milk latte" ?

I assume that came with an optional shot of soy sauce.

Tried them several times - wanted to see their enterprise survive. But - like many coffee shops, the folks employed to "work" there didn't seem to understand the concept - I don't know, maybe they were the ones doing the employment. But, the folks inside the building that were supposed to be 'waiting' on those willing to spend their money, seemed to be more interested in what entertained them rather than doing their job.

Coffee is coffee. And "coffee shop coffee" is 'coffee shop coffee'. After several attempts at both the drive-thru and a few going inside, choose that I would rather patronize the other options (Cups across the street; Native Coffee a few blocks south, and for a cheaper and regular brew, several gas stations where if all I wanted was a cup of java I could get it for a third of the price.

Sorry to see them go, but not much of a loss.

In Jackson, this is a "dog bites man" story.

Weird. The one in Ridgeland seems to be thriving. Wonder what it could be?

Yes.

I liked this place. Parking was easy. Plenty of space inside so I didn't feel crowded by other patrons. Coffee was fine but I'm a simple guy when it comes to coffee. I am sorry to see it go.

Great franchise. Too bad Jackson has such a shallow talent pool in which to hire from.

I tried to support that place but the employees were lazy.

Never try to open a business in Jackson. Nobody wants to work.

Whenever I went in there, it the crew was always a bunch of new faces. They repeatedly botched my orders. Now the one on Lake Harbor is pretty good. Well run, good staff. Now if PJ’s would start using medium roast for its cold brew.

Well there is a lesson. Spend $100k on a franchise. Don’t expect a manager making $15 an hour to run it.

Lake Harbor has great coffee!

The employees were late getting paid several times. The last time I went there for coffee they were out of whole milk!! How does a coffee shop run out of whole milk??

It seems to be a growing trend. People have lost the ability to do anything in a timely fashion. Not sure why anyone would take a job in customer service and then get angry that they have to serve customers.

It’s not PJs, it’s the workforce.

It wasn’t so much the staff as it was the poor management and their poor training of staff that led to this location’s downfall.

Just give me a gas station with Community Coffee.

KF, is this the coffee shop moving to the Regions building? Also heard there was a bakery going in the Regions building, too

Yup. No such thing as bad troops, just bad leaders.

The only thing PJs had going for it in that location was the drive thru, and once it changed ownership from someone local it went down. There are 3 coffee shops, all of better quality product and staff, literally within a block.

I remember when a cp of coffee at the coffee shop in the Robert E Lee Hotel was a dime. A latte was not a thing.

Still like my Kroger coffee I brew every morning for work. No barista's to deal with.

I hope that is sarcasm, KF. You can't lead the unwilling.

To each his/her own to spend money on whatever & however they choose, but it blows my mind on how much money some folks are willing to spend on coffee outside of them home. I'm just sayin'....

Sad. PJ's has the best coffee of the any of the chains, and it's not particularly close.

Also true that the employees didn't gaf. I went to get someone a gift card a few months ago. The girl (I think) at the counter acted like I was bothering her by being in there.

I hope they are moving to the Regions building though. We need a good coffee place that's walkable for downtowners.

Dang...I used to hit up this PJ's every time I would go to Fondren or that area for doctor's appointments. While I didn't go regularly, it was always good and consistent.

The Bean next to Walker's is local and has phenomenal breakfast and coffee, plus an outdoor patio area! Check them out!

I really miss the Cups on Capitol in the Regions Building. I ran into KF one time there with his dog and Sam used to shine shoes next door as well. Good times!

Has anyone been able to get food from the McAlister's in Maywood. I've tried three times over the summer and I give up. One day the employees were arguing over who had to operate the cash register.

The PJ's coffee location in the UMMC Pavilion building is completely gutted/gone as well.

@9:26 McAllister's everywhere is awful. Food is not what it was and the price sure isn't either. Look for them to be closing in mass before long, sadly. A french dip sandwich and potato soup should not be almost twenty dang dollars. Funny enough, I went to the one in Albuquerque New Mexico a few months back and it was just as bad.

Coffee is for blue-haired libtards. I only drink diesel fuel and hotdog water. Gobble, gobble motha'fucka!

Hey Fish @ 11:03 "Now if PJ’s would start using medium roast for its cold brew". For me, I really like their cold brew, kinda has a natural chocolaty wang to it. Stopped in Hammond on Monday to get some as I usually do coming back from NOLA and I occasionally go to the one on Lake Harbor. I agree good service on Lake Harbor... and Hammond

The last few times I went the baristas were playing their own music on a Bluetooth speaker, clashing with the ambient music on the store's sound system. I couldn't stand it anymore.

@9:26, I have given up on McAlister's in the entire metro area for years, first noticed it at the Pear Orchard one, it was awful, but it wasn't always that way. All of them are slow and crappy service, seems bad overall management, maybe different from the original team? Maywood once lost my online order, I had to do another order, they double charged me, then the manager couldn't figure out how to correct it, promised he would take care of it, and never did. I go to the Newks close to Maywood a couple of times a year, tea tastes the same and I got dinner in Ridgeland on Tuesday, they all are well run. I do stop at the McAlister's in Magee, it's fine.

McAllisters went to crap when they sold to private equity

the dark roast cold brew tastes like a Latte. If I wanted a latte, I'd order a Latte. Cups uses medium roast. The rest all use dark.

McAllisters: Yeah, tell me about it. Used to get the chicken croissant. Was a croissant bun with a real chicken breast on it. Was very good. Well they switched that chicken breast to slices of processed chicken like what you get at the lunch meat counter at the grocery store. Cheaper and doesn't require as much cooking but tastes like crap.

Loved the roast beef panini. It had caramelized onions that gave it a really nice flavor. Then some genius got the idea to replace the caramelized onions with purple onions. Those have a strong taste and overwhelm the rest of the sandwich, making it taste like a Krystal. The restaurants aren't as nice as they used to be either.

@8:51am, Just Vanilla is a Fondren Bakery (outstanding) that is opening a coffee/espresso shop downtown, coming very soon. Exciting!

In the mornings, I get my coffee at McDonald’s. The price is right and the coffee is good.

If I am paying for a coffee, I typically go with Cups (locally roasted) or Fusion (disclaimer: I know the owners). But I prefer to support the local places when I decide to splurge.

Another thumbs down for McA: For years I took a Grilled Chicken Spud to the hunting camp. Two big potatoes jammed together with lots of meat and cheese - two meals easy. Now you have to order a single plain baked potato, add chicken, add more chicken, add cheese. Imagine all the ways that goes wrong. Sandwiches have gone downhill as well but prices have gone up, up, up...

The one on County Line near Pear Orchard - you get about two bites of chicken on the Southwestern Chicken Salad. I really liked that salad but I give up. They make it completely impossible to buy one. I prefer their salad mix to the romaine at Newk's but I GIVE UP! I'm finding it impossible to do business in Jackson at all. The mail doesn't even run here any more.

If you buy a business you need to be there to open the door every day. The idea that you buy something and pay high wages to managers and expect to make money is silly. Good venue. Hope someone makes something out of the space.

@1:20pm it is all about where you chose to spend your money. I am finding so much more pleasure in shopping and eating local. Seems like your dollars are much more appreciated and you know good and well the money is supporting our local economy. Our mail in Fondren arrives 7 days from when it was sent, at maximum. You should try new businesses!

Attention, kids - if you’re gonna troll, at least do it like 9:56.

9:56 forgot to take their meds.

1:34 - I live in Fondren. Twice recently a client has mailed me a document from downtown and it took one month to get to my house in Fondren It may not have happened to you but that is completely irrelevant with regard to whether it is happening at all. The delays caused by the downtown Jackson post office have been well documented. Apparently you don't read.

I never was prissy enough to go to a 'coffee shoppe' for coffee, much less for cold coffee while bitching about the difference in slow roast, dark roast and medium roast.

What the Metro really needs is a Mexican restaurant. Get with the times, peeps.

Coffee was terrible. I’m a cups guy

This was my go to spot for getting work done outside of the office. The employees were absolute garbage. Dropping f bombs in front of customers, getting into arguments, and couldn't stand to be bothered. I really hate it for the owners, but you've got to hire better people if you want to survive these days.