by Matthew Osborne and Samantha Sinclair
Stephen Martin and his wife Marilyn didn’t plan on celebrating two grand openings this summer, but it looks like they will be. As for Lawrence Bridges, this was all part of his plan.
The owners of Farmhouse Coffee finalized the deal to purchase Temperance House Coffee on Georgia Street in Demorest from Bridges on Monday.
Bridges owned the Temperance House in Demorest for five years, and that is exactly how long he planned to own it.
“This was about sticking to my business plan and looking for a buyer in my fifth year,” Bridges said of his coffee and brew pub operations that became a fixture in downtown Demorest and the Piedmont University community. “I started this journey with a plan and hit most of the marks within days of when I wanted to. I think if you plan things out that way it leads to good outcomes.”
Temperance is now closed, and once some minor cosmetic changes are made – plans are by mid-June – Farmhouse Coffee will open in the location.
Construction on the business’ Gainesville location at 118 Jesse Jewell Parkway is also nearing completion, and he is looking at a mid-July grand opening for it.
Martin said Bridges approached them and asked them if they would be interested in the business.
“We just thought and prayed about it,” Martin said.
They saw it as a great opportunity since it is across the street from Piedmont, and they already have a lot of customers from Habersham who make the trip to Farmhouse.
“We just thought it was an awesome opportunity,” Martin said.
They are excited about being across from a college, and are already popular with the Truett McConnell community.
“We love making college students feel welcome, be a home away from home for them,” Martin said.
He said part of the focus of the coffee shop is students and teachers, noting they have a trailer that’s been used for events at local schools.
The Temperance deal includes the brew house. He was not sure what they are going to do with the brew house portion yet, but he said they are considering hiring a bartender as well as considering the city’s development plans.
“We’re taking it one day at a time,” Martin said.
Martin said they are working on continuing to provide sandwich options in Demorest that customers there are used to at lunchtime. When the expansion in Cleveland is complete, there will be more breakfast options for customers.
Martin said they already have people interested in working at the Demorest location, and, thanks to summer starting, some regular Farmhouse baristas will have more availability to work at the Demorest location, too.
Bridges also is the Downtown Development Authority chairman for Demorest, but as he does not live in the city or own a business there now, he will not be eligible to serve in that role officially going forward. But he plans to remain a consultant, as he has already been involved with negotiations involving potential suitors of the downtown building recently vacated by city hall. The DDA owns that building, which was replaced as the town headquarters by the old Demorest Elementary building.
Back in Cleveland, Martin said they are looking forward to a fall move-in to the larger space directly across Jarrard Street.
“The problem is the business grew, but the space needs to grow to accommodate the business,” he said.
Farmhouse Coffee opened on the Cleveland Square in March 2021.