A local coffee shop is often a central part of a community’s activity. Whether it’s a place to get the day started, hang out with friends, check out local art and music, or just get a good latte – a coffeehouse is often seen as a communal space for a neighborhood.
But, as Atlanta resident Tremayne Perry discovered, his community in southwest Atlanta didn’t have that.
“Three miles down the road, there’s a large coffee chain. Three miles in the other direction, there’s a large coffee chain,” he explained. “But where I live, there’s nothing – no place to get a good cup of coffee.”
Perry has lived in the Cascade Heights neighborhood for 14 years, and decided that, to fix this, he could start his own coffee shop.
“It really was four years ago, saying, ‘What can I do to impact my community and meet my own need?’” he said.
Now, Perry’s new business, BUZZ Coffee and Winehouse, is expected to open in early 2019.
And yes, you read that correctly. There’s wine, too. It all plays into the name.
“Conceptually, it’s coffee buzz, wine buzz, sugar buzz, buzz about town,” Perry said. “It just had this ring that I can play with the word, and use it from a marketing standpoint.”
This is Perry’s first business, but he’s confident that it will be successful. Why? Because BUZZ isn’t just there to give you a caffeine fix; it’s also meant to be a central spot for the community.
“In talking with neighbors, they have the same desires that I have: they want a communal space, they want quality coffee, they want a place to hang out, they want to see art on the wall, and they want it in their neighborhood,” he said. “My neighbors, who will be my customers, are very excited about BUZZ opening.”
BUZZ will be serving up the well-known Stumptown Coffee, out of Portland, Oregon. And with your espresso, you can also get a shot of culture. That’s because BUZZ will also serve as an art gallery, displaying the work of local artists.
“We definitely would like to keep it as local as possible, but Atlanta is a great art community, so there are endless options here,” he said.
BUZZ Coffee and Winehouse is located at 2315 Cascade Road.
Read more from Closer Look’s “Open for Business” series here.
