by Heather Hunter
Nicole Kapnison put hers into Meraki Coffee + Market
IMAGINE THE BRIGHT AZURE WATERS, crisp white aesthetic and clean, flavorful Mediterranean food that Greece is known for. You’ll find it all at Meraki Coffee + Market, designed and curated by visionary, second-generation local restaurateur Nicole Kapnison. She grew up in the beloved Greek Kapnison family, which built a restaurant empire that included El Patron, Yanni’s Mediterranean Bar & Grill, and Kap’s.
She previously owned Nob Hill Bar & Grill and opened Meraki in her father’s former Mykonos restaurant location in the Northeast Heights. Having grown up in Yanni’s, she loves the hospitality business, and it shows.
After a trip to Greece, Kapnison felt healthier returning home. This epiphany inspired her to create Meraki, a fast-casual café with everything she loves about the cafés in Greece. Various shades of white, marble tables, reclaimed wood and fresh flowers; the menu focuses on coffee and adult beverages, freshly made pastries, and tasty breakfast and lunch items. At night, Meraki becomes Dorothea Fine Greek, where customers savor regenerative grass-fed meat, fish shipped directly from Greece, organic vegetables, plus lots of Greek olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs.
“Food is meant to be healing and cherished,” Kapnison says. “This is how the Greeks and European countries think of food. At Meraki, we don’t use any chemicals, and nothing is processed. I feed my guests real food, just like I feed my family—with love.”
It’s no coincidence that meraki means “to put your heart and soul into something you love.” Kapnison admits guests might not notice her attention to the finer details, but they matter to her. She says the enjoyment that others find in her work makes her happy.
Proudly, the café features Cutbow Coffee, a beloved local coffee roaster, offering a variety of coffee drinks, along with matcha, frappes, golden milk latte and raspberry milk, a customer favorite. House-made syrups add interesting flavors like Madagascar vanilla bourbon, caramel, lavender, organic mocha and others.
But this coffee shop isn’t just about coffee—there are adult beverages like the Nikle 75, which uses Kapnison’s own brand of Nikle gin. This drink is a lavender twist on the French 75, or choose an espresso martini, a green chile bloody mary or a selection of biodynamically farmed wines and Italian wines from vintners who don’t use pesticides.
The menu boasts a wide variety of “healthy and affordable dishes,” Kapnison says. Avocado toast uses local ciabatta, and the yogurt parfait includes homemade yogurt with fresh macerated berries and homemade granola. There are simple breakfast sandwiches, and the huevos rancheros is a fan favorite. And if you love a savory, sweet and spicy combo, order the Meraki burger with melted brie, bacon fig jam, green chile aioli and arugula.
Of course, a few Greek-influenced dishes include Greek fries, a popular savory dish. For a sweeter treat, try the loukoumades—a small-batch dough that becomes donut holes soaked in honey and topped with crushed walnuts and powdered sugar. “These usually sell out by noon and are a classic treat often paired with an espresso freddo,” Kapnison says. Only on the weekends can you order a gooey cinnamon roll, which requires a two-day process and plenty of meraki to make these extra special.
The market side of the café offers customers a wide array of homemade syrups and spices, along with fresh flowers—a staple in Greece and Meraki. If you see a vintage blue VW bus, that’s Jennifleurs Flower Truck, where customers can create flower bouquets or grab a prepared bouquet to go. Kapnison now offers catering for off-site events, showers, weddings, birthday parties or any special occasion. Since its opening in 2020, Meraki has helped customers focus on celebrating life in both good taste and good health.
