Jr’s Treats is the name of a new joy-filled eatery that’s opening its doors at 624 N. Water St., in the retail space that formerly housed The Coffee Bean.

The fun-filled snack bar will offer a bit of something for everyone, from customized cups of coffee, waffle sticks and pancakes in the morning to customized fries, Mexican street corn and colossal customized ice cream sundaes to enjoy throughout the rest of the day.

Behind the business is Nerilyn Cruz-Colon, who launched Jr’s Treats as a mobile snack bar in 2023, offering buffets of fresh cut fruit, elote, ice cream and mini pancakes with various toppings to customers for birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, office parties, quinceañeras and the like. 

“I started the catering business not long after my son was born to make a bit of extra money,” she says. “We named it after him, since – at the end of the day – everything I do, I do for him.” 

When the opportunity arose to lease the former coffee shop Downtown, Cruz-Colon said the opportunity was too good to pass up.

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What to expect 

With assistance from her fiance Marco Lezameta, Cruz-Colon has transformed the 2200 square foot space into a fun, colorful interactive space.

A sprinkle-themed wall at the back of the space is accompanied by lounge seating. A chalkboard wall provides space for customers to share messages and drawings made with chalkboard markers. Another wall showcases a large-scale version of the Jr’s Treats logo painted by local artist Leonard Lopez.

Meanwhile, a “Cloud Wall” backlit with LED lights acts as a showpiece, giving guests the perfect backdrop for Instagrammable moments. Cruz-Colon notes that they will have a Polaroid camera behind the counter that guests can use to take photos to hang up alongside the cloud wall as well. 

The casual restaurant will feature efficient assembly line service at the counter where guests can choose options from the menu and customize them with varied toppings. 

In the morning, Cruz-Colon will showcase offerings like avocado toast, fruit cups, bagels and coffee (which can be customized with various flavorings in keeping with the theme). Additional items like mini pancakes, waffle sticks and smoothies will also be available.

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As the day moves on, the menu will expand to include a variety of customizable snacks from French fries and cheese curds to soft pretzels. 

Signature items will include customizable cups of Mexican street corn, which can be topped with traditional toppings like cotija cheese, mayo, butter and chili powder along with fun additions like nacho cheese and crushed Hot Cheetos.

Jr’s Treats will also offer ice cream sundaes featuring eight flavors of ice cream (including non-dairy vanilla ice cream) along with a wide variety of toppings including fruits, sauces and additions like Nutella, peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, chocolate chips, peanuts, Oreos, marshmallows and sprinkles. 

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Thanks to the addition of waffle cone chips, guests can also indulge in “ice cream nachos” Cruz-Colon notes.

As for beverages, she says the shop will showcase a variety of items from hot cocoa and a variety of canned drinks to rootbeer floats and customizable shakes.

Cruz-Colon says she also plans to reintroduce her mobile snack bar for catering parties within the next couple of months.

"I just need to get things running smoothly on Water Street," she says, "And then we'll be able to handle parties again."

Following the opening on Saturday, Jan. 11, Jr’s Treats will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight; and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Closed on Monday).

To keep up with what’s new at Jr’s Treats, follow them at @Jrstreatssnackbar on Instagram and Facebook.