FOOD & DRINK Her Thai empire may be well-established across the Charlottesville area with five restaurants stretching from the city to the village of Crozet to its west, but Kitty Ashi is only just now opening the business of her dreams. Taking over the real estate that formerly housed Milli Coffee Roasters at the bustling corner of Preston Avenue and McIntire Road in downtown Charlottesville, Ashi and a handful of close family have launched another coffeehouse: Camellias Bar & Roastery. "It's much different than what I did before," Ashi told The Daily Progress with a laugh, standing in the middle of the newly renovated cafe, a makeover that was mostly done by Ashi herself, who enjoys woodwork on the side, and her team.
The restaurateur has breathed new life into the old Milli space, which closed in early June. There are new furnishings and art, a bar hand built by Ashi and a fresh coat of paint on the walls nearly matching the green of the shop's already-popular popular matcha strawberry latte. While she does curate a unique menu for each of her five Thai restaurants and has been recognized for her culinary prowess — placing second in the local Duel Chef Showdown cooking competition in 2019 — Ashi admitted coffee-making is slightly out of her wheelhouse.
"I'm not good at coffee at all. It's just my passion. But I wanted to do it," she said.
"I just like to drink coffee, but I've never done it before." Thankfully, those closest to her were better suited to fill that gap i.