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Breakfast Biz: Jelly, Take Two

At the beginning of the month, Jelly (still the best name for a breakfast spot I’ve ever heard) opened a second location near the University of Denver. Now the sugary smells of freshly prepared doughnuts and pepper-sweet coffee from Colorado Coffee Merchants fill what used to be a dimly lit Tokyo Joe’s.

Owners Christina Smith and Josh Epps poured a lot of love into the now-cheerful space. There are pink and orange walls, a breakfast bar inset with 9,000 Scrabble tiles, shiny chandeliers decorated with dainty, pastel teacups, and vintage cereal boxed affixed to the walls. The 17 wooden tables (fashioned from what used to be Fairview High School’s gymnasium floor) all seem perennially jammed with in-need-of-caffeine college students.

As for the menu, it’s largely the same as the Capital Hill location. Don't go without ordering the doughnut bites (pictured). The options include lemon custard, Bhakti chai, maple bacon (topped with crispy bacon sprinkles for a salty crunch), and—most unusual—peanut butter Thai painted with a zigzag of sweetened Sriracha. If you can’t decide, do as I do: Order one of each and share them around.

Bonus: The walk-up window (scheduled to open Spring 2013) is destined to have students lining up for coffee and doughnut bites on their way to class.