SUMMER INTERLUDE: Our Fourth Opening!

Four years ago, Ankora was just a Post-it note idea. My (now ex) boyfriend and I were sitting on the same terrace where Ankora now stands, sharing a bottle of wine and daydreaming about how we could make it better.

We grabbed a post-it and, probably too tipsy to write more, jotted down three goals:

eat our mama’s food

drink cool cocktails

serve the best coffee in Cavtat

Being bold, we decided to pitch the idea to the owners. For context, the previous concept was a popular wine and tapas bar - a hit among tourists.

But we felt it was time for a change and wanted to stand out with our vision. The only catch? We were in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Surprisingly, the owners loved our idea, and we struck a deal. Their only request was to keep the name, which we agreed to.

To make it more meaningful, we added I Sapori del Sud (The Taste of the South).

What have we gotten ourselves into?

I won’t bore you with too many details, but here’s a quick rundown of our first few years. The first year was, unsurprisingly, the toughest—nobody believed in us. Locals hated our concept and swore it would never work in Cavtat. We introduced specialty coffee to a town used to 9g espresso! You can imagine the backlash (though tourists loved us).

By the second year, tensions had eased. We earned a bit more trust, so we bravely introduced vegan milk options. One thing we never got complaints about? The food - everyone loved it from the start.

In our third year, we were already seen as pioneers. We decided the next year would be the one to complete Ankora’s transformation, which meant a full interior overhaul. (We would’ve done it sooner, but funds were tight.) Somehow, we pulled it off.

Four Years Later: A New Beginning

Now, in our fourth year, we’re reopening Ankora and toasting to everything we’ve achieved on this journey. We’re excited to see what the future holds!

They say, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I couldn’t agree more.

See you on the terrace!

Issa