Indulging at Rituals

The Village and The Mall plazas in association with The Gleaner Company and National Commercial Bank will be staging their fourth annual, 'Black Friday Weekend Sale', beginning on Thursday, November 28 to Saturday, November 30. This is in keeping with the Black Friday after Thanksgiving sales in the United States, and is a great opportunity for shoppers to 'Come Shop, Come Save', as they jump-start their Christmas shopping with prices slashed up to 50 per cent off.

Keep reading The Gleaner pages for all the exciting offerings. This week, we introduce you to one of the participating outlets - Rituals.

Jody-Anne Lawrence • Gleaner Writer

Rituals Coffee House is the perfect getaway for those who just want a quiet environment with delicious treats.

On November 29 is the best time for you to indulge in the coffee.

This coffee house is more than somewhere that serves good coffee - it's somewhere to get lost and let time just float by. The ambience is so intimate and relaxing you won't be in a hurry to leave even after your meal. There is also free Wi-Fi for every customer to enjoy. This is one of the reasons people tend to come to this hotspot.

"People come for everything. They especially like the ambience. Some people come here to just chill and for the free Wi-Fi. We have people that have meetings here from time to time because the location is so relaxed," explains Donna Smith, operations manager of Rituals.

Rituals opened in November 2009 after the owners realised that Jamaican's were catching on to coffee shops and saw the need for them to open one in Jamaica. Rituals have several locations in the Caribbean.

wide range of coffee

The lovely coffee house located at Village Plaza has a wide range of coffee on their menu which includes espresso, cappuccino, mochaccino and vanilla latte, just to name a few. If you have a child, they are covered, too. They can get a replica of the adult chillers which are iced coffee drinks, however, the kids' version is coffee-free.

Rituals has a wide range of coffee beverages and teas, but their food menu is also packed with food for everyone.

"We try to keep it healthy but tasty here," said Smith.

They offer a variety of sandwiches made with different flavoured bagels from garlic lovers to plain and blueberry, just to name a few. Then there are the paninis which are Italian-style sandwiches. They also have the flatinis which are European-style sandwiches, and then there are the hot sandwiches.

Now if you love wraps, they have that too with a variety of fillings.

This little coffee house is filled with goodies like croissants, muffins, cakes, plantain tarts, brownies, and cookies to satisfy those with a sweet tooth.

Don't eat meat? They have you covered with a variety of salads including the popular Greek salad - fetta cheese, lettuce, tomato, apple, black olives and onions with balsamic vinegar.

With Jamaicans' love for Bailey's Rum Cream, there is no surprise that the customer's favourite is Rituals Baileys Cake. "People just love the Bailey's cake. That's what they love when it comes to treats. For coffee, definitely the mochaccino," explained Smith.

For Black Friday, all items on their menu will be offered at a 10 per cent discount. Nothing will escape a reduced price and the occasion should not escape you. They will also be offering two for one on selected chillers as well as giving away spot prizes throughout the day.