Restaurant news: Modern, upscale café celebrates grand opening in Ormond Beach

The city of Ormond Beach officially welcomed Soraya Café last week during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Business After Hours event that took place within the charming new coffee shop.

A long-awaited moment of accomplishment for co-owners Fay Sarshory and Ayten Hooper, the ceremony was noted as a time of celebration and gratitude toward the city that has so warmly embraced the café over the last five months.

“Before anything, I wanted to say thank you to the city of Ormond Beach for opening their arms to us,” Sarshory said. “We’ve had the biggest support, and I just couldn’t be more proud of this city. They’ve been really welcoming of us here and supported us in every way.”

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The popular spot for house-made baklava, Turkish coffee and more, welcomed guests by the dozen on Wednesday night, joining together to enjoy not only an elegant charcuterie-style spread, with homemade dips, desserts and drinks, but to celebrate the sophisticated café’s milestone during the Business After Hours event that followed the ribbon cutting — a gathering hosted by the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce that drew in more than 30 attendees within the first 15 minutes.

According to chamber president and CEO Debbie Cotton, the monthly event is a networking opportunity for local businesses, allowing business leaders to build connections and further support one another. The popular event rotates with different businesses each month, and amid the holiday season, Cotton described the newly opened café as a “special place” that was a perfect fit for the December gathering.

”It’s a beautiful atmosphere (at Soraya) — a beautiful setting,” Cotton said.

“If you want to have a business meeting or a cup of coffee, they have Turkish coffees, Turkish teas, you know? And they’re divine. So, this is a nice place for you to come have coffee, have a meeting and still enjoy the atmosphere at the same time.”

The inspiration behind Soraya Café

Longtime friends-turned-business-partners, Sarshory, from Iran, and Hooper, from Turkey, hope to bring a dining experience like no other at Soraya Café, a place interwoven with cultural sentiments and layered with a love for hospitality, community and delicious cuisine.

Sarshory is a longtime Ormond Beach resident who, alongside owning the café, owns Florida Property Experts. The entrepreneur’s attention to detail and eye for lavish interior design made for a perfect pairing with Hooper, a seasoned restauranteur with a wealth of industry knowledge.

“I love Ormond, and I love the people of Ormond,” Hooper said. “Fay and I, we’ve been friends for a while and just decided to start something in Ormond to bring people together … so, it’s a special day.”

According to the duo, Soraya Café was created with the intention of “exposing locals to Persian and Turkish cultures beyond any political associations” and was inspired by the life and legacy of Princess Soraya of Iran, the second wife to the last Shah of Iran and a prominent figure in Iranian history, known for her goodness, selflessness and resilience, as well as her brief career as an actress.

Created in hopes of capturing her timeless beauty and grace, the local shop captivates customers with its vibrant, lux décor, bold coloring, gold detailing and sophisticated design.

“Soraya means cluster of stars, and so far, it has brought us really good luck,” Sarshory said. “In such a short time, we are one of the most successful businesses in Ormond Beach.”

What’s on the menu at Soraya Café

Whether sitting on a cozy love seat or at a tucked-away table, the enchanting café is an ideal stop for a solo sip or afternoon coffee with co-workers and friends.

Soraya Café’s tailored menu features a range of beverages, including Persian tea, homemade chai, Greek frappes, lattes, cappuccinos and Turkish coffee, as well as several seasonal offerings like the salted caramel hot chocolate with caramelized milk foam and marshmallows, and the whipped cream-topped peppermint mocha.

The thoughtfully-curated menu also offers a plethora of rotating, made-fresh-daily desserts, like homemade baklava — a popular layered pastry typically combining homemade dough, ground nuts and a honey or syrup sweetener — coffee cake, rice pudding, cheesecake and more. The café also offers a small bites menu, featuring lentil soup, house-made quiche, Sujuk Simit — beef sausage and Swiss cheese served pressed on a Turkish bagel — and specials like the previously-offered Persian chicken salad.

“Our menu has a little bit of Turkish, a little bit of Persian and international cuisine,” Sarshory said.  “Everything is fresh, made to order. It’s very healthy and simple, but people love it, because everything is so fresh. And the presentation — I don’t think you can find anything like it in the area.”

Welcome, Soraya Café

Open six days a week, Soraya Café invites customers new and returning customers to stop in for a sweet sip, an unforgettable taste of its seasonal menu offerings, or to book their next private event with the local coffee shop.

“People love it here, and they come back,” Hooper said. “Whoever is here for the first time, they keep coming back.”

Soraya Café is located at 156 E. Granada Blvd. in Ormond Beach and is open 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday and closed Monday. For information, call 386-265-0137 or visit Sorayacafe.com.

Helena Perray is the restaurant and dining writer for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. A New Jersey native and passionate storyteller, she can be contacted at hperray@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Support local journalism by subscribing

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Soraya Café hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony in Ormond Beach