Old Post Office building to become JavaVino in downtown Stone Mountain

Seven years ago, owners Steve Franklin and Heddy Kuhl transformed an old Victorian house in Poncey-Highland to create their first JavaVino. The store’s coffee comes from Nicaragua, where Kuhl’s family owns the Selva Negra coffee estate, and is roasted in Atlanta.

The shop, whose motto is “Seed to Cup,” is “on a mission to create clean change in a dirty industry,” according to a prepared statement.

Franklin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the new building will mostly be dedicated to roasting and distribution following JavaVino’s sale of its smaller production facility in Decatur.

A retail section in the front, which will offer views of the production in the back, will feature a menu of coffee drinks, wine and small bites like sandwiches and breakfast items during the day. Franklin and Kuhl plan to “experiment with new concepts” in the evening. The space will offer seating for about 30 guests inside, along with outdoor seating on a large patio in the front.

Monk’s Meadery, which has a taproom located on the bottom floor of the JavaVino building in Virginia-Highland, will also move its production operations into the back of the Stone Mountain building. JavaVino will eventually offer both wine and mead on tap.

The post office building was purchased in 2018 by the Stone Mountain Downtown Development Authority (SMDDA), which is tasked with revitalizing and redeveloping the city’s central business district.

SMDDA made several improvements to the building after purchasing it in 2018, including fixing the roof, white boxing the interior and making the three bathrooms ADA accessible.

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