When Josephine Mikulla and Jonathan Corp met over a pint at a craft beer evening in Faringdon, they never suspected that within a few years they would open their own bar together.
But having talked all night and fallen in love, they then decided to open their own premises on Cowley Road, now the site of JoJo’s their new cafe bar.
JoJo’s has now been open for several months and Jo and Jonathan couldn’t be happier with how their new business is going, despite opening up during the pandemic.
Jonathan was a regional manager in the hospitality industry, but all his life he dreamt of opening his own bar. So where he met Jo he finally decided to put his money where his mouth is.
“opening a new business is always a gamble, especially during a pandemic but we felt this was the right time for us”
Having scoured Headington, Summertown and Jericho the pair finally chanced upon the former Vine premises on Cowley Road in East Oxford and opened on May 2.
Serving Barrel & Stone pizza, an exciting range of beers and cocktails as well as tea, coffee and cake, and welcoming a really mixed clientele with cordoned off outdoor seating at the front, Jonathan says: “We just love looking after people. I like being here to welcome our customers and look after them.
“So yes opening a new business is always a gamble, especially during a pandemic but we felt this was the right time for us. It was a case of now or never,” he says.
“I’ve always been hands on. I’d rather roll up my sleeves and get on with it any day of the week.
“So yes, we are living the dream. Jo is still working in the week but comes to help out at weekends. Things are definitely going in the right direction. We want this to be a neighbourhood bar and are really optimistic about the future,” he adds.
Plans including opening further JoJo’s elsewhere but in the meantime Jonathan is hard at work making JoJo’s a name and place to remember in Oxford.
“I’m a firm believer in keeping things simple and making it about the people and clientele, remembering people’s names and what they drink, greeting them when they walk in the door – the simple things in life,” he says.
For more info go to https://jojoscafebar.co.uk
