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Coffee shop and cat adoption spot Java Cats Cafe is now closed on Memorial Drive in Grant Park. The cat cafe, owned by Haydn Hilton, opened in 2017 across from Oakland Cemetery in the same retail complex as Tin Lizzy’s Cantina. Hilton cites the pandemic as the reason for the closure of the Grant Park location of Java Cats.
“Thank you for the last 5 years Grant Park, it feels so much longer and at the same time not that long. While this has been a really difficult time, I am excited to soon share news about what is next for my career,” an Instagram post from Hilton reads, in part. “I have the opportunity to continue in animal advocacy work and couldn’t be more excited about transitioning into a new role.”
Hilton opened a second Java Cats Cafe in Marietta one year later. While that cafe location continues to thrive, the building in which Java Cats resides was recently purchased. The new owners of the building plan to renovate it and did not offer Hilton the option to renew the lease on the cafe. Java Cats Cafe closes permanently in Marietta on June 1.
Prior to the health crisis, Hilton regularly fostered up to 20 cats at each Java Cats Cafe, partnering with no-kill shelter Paws Atlanta to help offer cats for adoption. Java Cats serves coffee, coffee drinks and tea paired with pastries. People reserve time with the cats at the cafe in one-hour increments, where they can pet, play, and interact with the animals with or without intentions to adopt. Just over 1,800 cats were adopted from both locations over the last five years. [IG]
Mochi doughnut shop Mochinut opens at Chattachoochee Food Works
Mochi doughnut shop Mochinut opened at Chattahoochee Food Works food hall in Underwood Hills over the weekend. It’s the first Mochinut location in the state of Georgia for the California-based doughnut company. Several other OTP locations of Mochinut are slated to open over the coming months, including in Alpharetta, Duluth, and Lawrenceville. [Official]
Chef Chase Davis opens the Kitchen at the King Kabob in Decatur
Conyers native chef Chase Davis opens the Kitchen at the King Kabob on East Ponce in Decatur on Saturday, April 9. Davis calls the Kitchen an expansion of his food truck the King Kabob, which serves skewers like the Mary Had a Lil Lamb Chops with honey garlic sauce and a skewer with chicken and waffles. This winter, Davis competed on Guy Fieri’s “Chance of a Lifetime” and “Guy’s Grocery Game” shows on the Food Network. [Official]
New Cuban restaurant headed to Sandy Springs
Cuban food truck Azucar is set to become Carta’s Azucar Cuban Cuisine restaurant later this spring. Azucar the restaurant opens on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, next door to Three Dollar Cafe. [IG]
Bourbon bar Grant Park Social is opening on Glenwood Avenue
The owner of sports bar the Beverly is opening a bourbon bar and cocktail lounge next door called Grant Park Social, What Now Atlanta reports. Once open, expect 150 types of bourbon behind the bar as well as gin, vodka, and tequila paired with desserts from Smokey Peach catering company. [WNA]
