A new, unique café is adding a blend of international flavor and family ties to Columbia’s coffee scene.
The Sumter Street location marks the first U.S. location of a family-run bakery based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Jiratchaya Kranjanaviboon, or “KJ,” daughter of the original owner, brought Café de Thyme to Columbia at the end of March.
“I never thought I would open a café like my mom,” Kranjanaviboon said via text during a recent culinary trip to Bangkok. “My true passion has always been art.”
She earned her master of fine arts degree in studio art from the University of South Carolina in 2023 and has since lived in the area.
“One day, I thought, ‘I want to stay here — so what can I do to build a life in this place?’” she said. “That’s when the idea came to me: ‘Why not bring the kind of bakery I grew up with to Columbia?’”
The café got its start in 2006, when Kranjanaviboon’s mother began selling traditional Thai desserts to local shops in Bangkok. She opened her first small coffee shop in 2009 and it eventually evolved into a bakery that she now runs alongside her son.
The Columbia location is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.
It mimics the original’s cozy, homey aesthetic and features a menu with both Thai and Japanese influences.
“We don’t focus solely on Thai elements, but instead, we combine what we love from different places to create something unique and delicious,” Kranjanaviboon said.
The cakes reflect Japanese baking techniques, while drinks such as the Thyme Signature Coffee and Thai Es-Yen offer a bold, creamy spin on traditional Thai iced coffee.
“One special drink on the menu that’s really personal to me is our Thyme Thai Tea,” Kranjanaviboon said. “It has a stronger, more herbal flavor. It’s inspired by the Southern-style Thai tea that my mom, who’s from the south of Thailand, used to make. I spent a lot of time visiting my grandparents there, and I grew up loving that particular style. It’s something you rarely find in the U.S., especially here in Columbia. So I’m really proud to introduce it.”
Daniel Salyer, an employee atthe café, enjoys sampling the menu items.
“I’ve personally tried the chocolate cake, the brown, sea-salt- and chocolate-tart and the panna cotta,” he said. “A lot of these desserts are more French in style, but they’re really popular in Thailand as well.”
Jessica Green tried the Hokkaido cheesecake during her visit to the café.
“I love going out and trying new things, especially flavors from around the world,” she said. “It’s a very calm and relaxing little café. I’m definitely coming back with friends.”
Kranjanaviboon traveled to Thailand to receive further training in preparation for the café’s grand opening.
“I want to build a community of regulars, where familiar faces show up each day and feel at home,” she said. “And maybe one day, if someone visits Thailand and remembers us, they might even stop by our original shop there. That kind of connection — across places and cultures — is something really special to me.”
The menu features a blend of ethnic foods such as the Hokkaido cheesecake, and familiar items such as an iced caramel macchiato.
The café, which opened March 31, makes all its desserts on site.
The café’s set up was intentionally designed to mirror the one in Bangkok.
