BEVERLY — Ain't She Sweet Cafe opened Monday at 9920 S. Western Ave. in Beverly.
It's the second location for cafe known for its assortment of sandwiches and wraps as well as its smoothies and shakes. Ain't She Sweet's first location opened in August 2006 in Bronzeville.
"It's absolutely what I envisioned and a bit more," said Ayisha Strotter, a Beverly resident.
She will operate the new location while her mother, Margo Strotter, will continue to work at the original cafe at 526 E. 43rd St. Both locations are open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays.
Ayisha Strotter said she might tweak the hours a bit in Beverly as customer demand dictates. That said, she saw a rush of customers the first day of business — about 30 percent of whom were police officers.
George Clay makes a Caribbean jerk chicken wrap at Ain't She Sweet Cafe in Beverly. The spicy wrap is a top seller, according to owner Ayisha Strotter. [DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig]
She said several police officers called on their radios to let fellow officers know the cafe made its debut. Ain't She Sweet Cafe offers a $2 discount on all sandwiches to police officers and firefighters on Tuesdays.
This same discount is available to teachers and seniors on Mondays. Postal workers and other package delivery personnel get the discount along with Chicago Transit Authority employees on Wednesdays. Healthcare workers and active military receive the discount on Thursdays.
"Everyone that came in yesterday, I told them our signature is the Caribbean jerk chicken wrap," said Strotter, adding the cafe doesn't fry any of its food.
The Caribbean jerk chicken wrap ($7.49) at Ain't She Sweet Cafe in Beverly is filled with a marinated jerk chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, onions and shredded cheddar jack cheese and is then smothered in a zesty jerk sauce. [DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig]
The wrap ($7.49) is filled with a marinated jerk chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, onions and shredded cheddar jack cheese and is then smothered in a zesty jerk sauce. It's often paired with the Tropical Breezer smoothie.
This best-selling smoothie ($5.35, large) is a blend of peaches, strawberries, pineapple, mango and a scoop of raspberry sherbet. Besides shakes and smoothies, the cafe also offers Sip & Savor coffees. This coffee shop is next door to Ain't She Sweet on 43rd Street.
"We call it the dynamic duo," Strotter said.
Anshaunti Hillery makes a Tropical Breezer smoothie ($5.35) at Ain't She Sweet Cafe in Beverly. The new cafe at 9920 S. Western Ave. offers a variety of shakes and smoothies. [DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig]
Ayisha Strotter graduated from Beverly's Kellogg Elementary School and later Morgan Park Academy. She's now raising her family in Beverly and saw several familiar faces Tuesday.
But Jamila Sutton and her 2-year-old son Riley were new. The pair was visiting from Atlanta and staying with family in suburban South Holland. Sutton heard about the cafe opening online and went to check it out, sharing a jerk chicken wrap and a cup of soup with Riley.
"I love it," she said. "I like the spiciness of jerk."
