The 12-year anniversary of Taisir and Christina Yanis' downtown Jefferson City coffee shop may have been the best one yet.
Yanis Coffee Zone, which opened its doors and brewed its first cup at 130 E. High St. on Oct. 7, 2003, received the 2015 Small Business of the Year award from the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, exactly 12 years after it opened.
The Yanis family finally won the award in its fourth straight year as a finalist for Small Business of the Year.
"Every year we work a lot harder trying to get it," said Taisir Yanis, while accepting the honor during the chamber's Small Business of the Year Luncheon at Capitol Plaza Hotel. "Everybody knows me and my wife, we do not give up. I just don't give up, and that's why I've been in business for the last 12 years. And I appreciate everybody who has supported Yanis Coffee Zone."
Yanis Coffee Zone - known for its "Rocket Fuel" house brew, authentic Mediterranean cuisine, and friendly "Hala, hala" greeting (meaning "Hello, goodbye and thank you" in Arabic) - has grown in several ways over its 12 years in business. The restaurant has gone from serving about 50 customers a day initially to its current average of 400, has hired up to six employees after starting with one, and has expanded the lunch menu from four to 22 items.
Yanis still remembers those original four items, too: hummus, spinach pie, Greek salad, and spinach pie with a half salad.
The award tops off an emotional year for the Yanis family, after Taisir spent six weeks away from the business a few months ago to undergo surgery as cancer treatment.
"Behind every hard road there's a heaven," he said, quoting his father. "I'm a cancer survivor. I never give up."
He credited his employees with keeping the restaurant thriving while he was away: "Without them, I wouldn't be going anywhere. When I had my surgery for my cancer, they really stepped up so much," he said. "Thank God, everything's been going smooth since I got diagnosed all the way through the surgery."
Yanis Coffee Zone has been voted Best Coffee Shop by News Tribune readers in 2013 and 2015, and is a five-time winner in the Best of Jefferson City.
"We work hard to reach the high goals in our life," Yanis said. "And without the Chamber of Commerce and Jefferson City community we wouldn't have even made half of what we've made now."
The Small Business of the Year honor is awarded based on a business' overall success accounting for innovation and creativity, growth, and involvement in community-oriented projects. To be nominated, a business must be a Chamber of Commerce member, have been in operation for at least two years and employ 50 or fewer full-time employees.
Other top finalists included Culver's of Jefferson City, established in 2009 by Allen, Gretchen and Kendall Walz, and Outbound Physical Therapy & Rehab, established in 2011 by Jennifer Schnieders and Jason Woods. Fifty-nine businesses were nominated for this year's award.
Also honored during Wednesday's luncheon was Terra Parris, who received the 2015 Exceptional Employee award. Parris is executive assistant to the assistant superintendent for school and community relations at Jefferson City Public Schools, where she has been an employee for more than 25 years.
"I work with a great team of people who do great things every day for the kids in the school district," Parris said. "I couldn't be more blessed."
Parris' duties include serving as School-Community Relations office manager, district event planner and United Way campaign coordinator.
Other top finalists for the Exceptional Employee award were LaTron Clay, utility worker for Sodexo at Lincoln University, and Roxann Nold, STAT registered nurse at Capitol Region Medical Center. The award is given based on outstanding customer service skills and contributions to the success of their organization.