A takeout window near Patterson Park has turned into one of East Baltimore's most reliable morning lines, with customers ringing a bell for egg sandwiches piled with blueberry jam and homemade chicken sausage before the food runs out. Jem's Bottle Shop and Cafe, at 2200 E. Fayette St., has been selling iced coffee and breakfast sandwiches out of a walk-up window while its owners, Jeryl and Ty Cole, keep building toward something much bigger.
The couple originally intended to open the full cafe and bottle shop about a year before now, according to The Baltimore Banner. Permitting and construction delays pushed that timeline back, and Jeryl Cole told the outlet the project has deeply tested the couple even as he says the business has been rocking and rolling ever since the window opened. That window, which began serving morning cafe customers in August, was meant as a stopgap to get Jem's up and running while the interior buildout continues.
Per reporting from Baltimore Magazine, the full indoor boutique bottle shop is not projected to open until 2027 due to extensive project delays. Until then, the walk-up window remains the only way to get a taste of what the Coles are building — and it's drawing a crowd. The same reporting from the Banner notes that customers regularly sell the place out of food, and lines have formed as word spreads through the neighborhood.
A Line That Feels Like a Neighborhood Ritual
The queue outside Jem's has become something of a community gathering spot, with customers waiting on the sidewalk chatting while they inch toward the window. Annie Demm, a customer quoted in the Banner's coverage, said simply that everyone's talking about it. Baltimore residents have compared the lines at Jem's to those at the viral Canton bakery Café Dear Leon, a comparison that fits into a broader pattern in the city's food scene.
That comparison isn't entirely surprising given how social media has reshaped neighborhood dining in Baltimore. A February 2025 social media post featuring Café Dear Leon's crab dip bagel generated more than 52 million views and national media attention, according to Baltimore Magazine. That bakery later expanded into a much larger second location called La Maison in Remington, opening in October 2025, as reported by BmoreArt. Whether Jem's follows a similar growth arc remains to be seen, but the early buzz has been undeniable.
Coffee, Sandwiches, and a Name With Family Roots
Jem's menu right now is simple: egg sandwiches finished with jam and homemade chicken sausage, plus a brown sugar shaken espresso on ice that Jeryl Cole has called his favorite drink on the menu, per the Banner's reporting. The Coles say they're serving foods and drinks they genuinely enjoy at home, and the name Jem itself carries family meaning — it's the name of the couple's youngest son, and also functions as an acrostic of their other three boys' names.
Rob Lee, a customer who told the Banner he visits Jem's during his morning exercise routine, said a coffee shop opening in a neighborhood is a sign of a healthy neighborhood. Jeryl Cole described the atmosphere among waiting customers as a great vibe, and said the couple wants to treat people with respect, grace and politeness — values the business explicitly emphasizes in how staff interact with customers in line.
Deep Roots in East Baltimore's Bottle Shop Scene
Jem's is not the Coles' first venture. They also own Off the Rox Wine, Beer and Spirits in Highlandtown, a business Hoodline first covered when it opened in 2019 as part of a wave of new Baltimore storefronts. Since opening Off the Rox in 2018, Jeryl Cole has kept a strict policy against selling products like malt liquor, focusing instead on curated small-production wines and craft beers, according to Baltimore's Child. The couple also owns The Beverly House Bottle Shop and Tasting Room.
Both Jeryl and Ty Cole are graduates of Patterson Park High School and Coppin State, and the couple lives in the Patterson Park neighborhood where Jem's now sits. Jeryl Cole was raised in Northeast Baltimore, while Ty Cole grew up in East Baltimore — roots that shape their approach to running neighborhood-facing businesses. Jeryl Cole also serves on the Board of Directors for the Southeast Community Development Corporation and the Board of Directors for the Friends of Patterson Park, according to information from the Southeast Community Development Corporation and Friends of Patterson Park.
What's Next for the Full Bottle Shop
Once complete, Jem's will become a full wine, beer and spirits shop, with plans to carry mostly labels from small, family-owned vineyards around the world. The Coles also plan to expand the food menu to include deli sandwiches once the cafe doors fully open to customers. The corner building at 2200 E. Fayette St. is the site of Jem's planned full shop and cafe.
In December 2024, Jeryl Cole warned that proposed Maryland legislation allowing grocery stores and convenience chains to sell beer and wine could harm independent liquor-store owners. For now, the lines outside the Fayette Street window remain the clearest sign of what's to come once the full bottle shop finally opens its doors.
