When Reading Room co-owners Kristin Radcliffe and Mary Tveit decided to open their coffee shop at 429 Church St. in Decatur, the space was “just dirt, no walls in the front, no walls in the back,” Radcliffe said.
The coffee shop, which opened about two weeks ago, according to the website Atlanta Coffee Shops, took the place of Java Monkey, a cafe that burned down in November 2018.
Java Monkey suffered extensive damages from an act of arson committed by a disgruntled former employee. Owner David Stickland decided not to reopen Java Monkey, so the storefront remained empty for a little over five years.
“You need a vibrant downtown, and having empty spaces is sort of like a reminder of sad things (that) did happen here,” Tveit said. “So we wanted to bring this beautiful place back.”
Radcliffe, who’s lived in Decatur for a few years, and Tveit, a lifelong resident, have transformed the space into a cozy and colorful cafe with intricate basket lights hanging from the ceiling, pink upholstered chairs, pink floors, a green tiled bar, ample seating, an archway of gravity-defying novels and, true to its name, a collection of books from nearby store Little Shop of Stories.
Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Coffee Shops
Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Coffee Shops
Their aim was to create a “community gathering spot,” Radcliffe said, a daytime and evening setting where no one would feel pressured to hurry out the door.
Radcliffe and Tveit also worked with wine distributor Amanda Kimbrough to create an all-female wine list for the Reading Room’s opening.
“I may want a cup of coffee at 3 p.m., but then at 5:30 p.m. I’m ready for a glass of wine,” Tveit said.
In addition to wine and cocktails, the cafe serves espresso drinks using coffee beans from Little Waves, a North Carolina coffee roaster, and syrups from Transcendence Coffee, a Brooklyn-based company that offers flavors like Algerian Baklava, French Lavender Madeleine and Indian Gulab Jamun.
Food offerings include pastries from local St. Germain Bakery and a few housemade sandwich options, salads, charcuterie boards and weekend brunch boards.
Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Coffee Shops
Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Coffee Shops
In the coming weeks, Radcliffe and Tveit said they hope to hold more community events, like women in wine nights and poetry readings, which Java Monkey used to do.
429 Church St., Decatur. thereadingroomatl.com.
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