Harlem Java House is under new ownership, and like the previous owner, they embrace Harlem’s small-town vibe that helps make the business unique.
Married couple Sang and Shana Lee acquired the shop in September from Deborah Brawner, who started Harlem Java at 211-A N. Louisville St. in 2016 in the city of about 4,000.
The idea of running a coffeeshop, like many ideas, began with an obsession – specifically Mrs. Lee’s. She often found herself riveted to online how-to videos about coffee.
I would research what is it like to own a coffeeshop or what’s it like to be a barista and just watch videos online.
Then last Christmas, her parents gifted her a home espresso machine, elevating the obsession into a mission – to become a barista. At the time she was a self-described “office lady” in Augusta University’s human resources department.
“I was miserable – not because of AU, but because I knew I wanted a more hands-on, person-to-person type job,” Mrs. Lee said. “I was just stuck behind a computer.”
Eager to learn, but also to get paid, she soon found employment at Harlem Java. Over the next few months, as she improved and refined her coffeemaking skills, she and her boss would joke about Mrs. Lee buying the shop. When family matters later demanded more of Brawner’s time, the jokes turned serious.
Mrs. Lee wasn’t deterred by the parts of the job that online videos don’t always tell you about.
“Online it’s just lattes or pour-overs, all the fancy coffee things,” she said with a laugh. “Being a barista is a lot more than that, in terms of having to clean everything, take out the trash – all the gritty work.”
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Mr. Lee would often visit his new wife at Harlem Java while she worked. His past jobs had included selling roofs, flipping houses and even helping his parents run their small business in Augusta.
“I would think, ‘Wow, this is really a small-town coffeeshop,’” he said. “I thought it was really cool. People knew each other’s names, things like that. It’s very unique.”
Mr. Lee also got a job at Harlem Java about a month before the business changed hands so he could start learning the coffee business.
Harlem Java still uses locally roasted beans and ground coffees from Buona Caffe, a business that’s part of Augusta’s “close-knit and welcoming” coffee community, Mrs. Lee said.
Customers can order coffee flavored with dozens of syrups. The newest flavor, pistachio, arrived at Harlem Java just a week or so ago after Mrs. Lee found and bought it during a recent trip to New York.
One of the shop’s most popular items are its coffee flights, and according to the Lees, Harlem Java is the area’s only coffeeshop to offer them. Similar to beer flights, four smaller cups of different types of coffee are served so customers and their companions can sample and compare.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s even about the coffee but the time they spend with each other and enjoy the little things. At least that’s what I get out of it,” she said. “I also think it opens people up to Harlem. Flights take a long time for you to drink. You have to wait for it to get made,” which encourages visitors to browse Harlem’s small downtown.
And word gets around. “We saw our flights on social media. I was really surprised,” Mr. Lee said. So far, customers from as far as Athens and Macon have visited Harlem to try a flight.
The Lees would like to open a second location, but for now they’re still learning the nuances of running their own business. But since Harlem teachers, stay-at-home parents and daily commuters comprise a substantial portion of their business, the next location likely won’t be far away. The Greenpoint residential and commercial development north of Harlem, expected to attract more Harlem citizens, stands out as a possible location.
“The goal is that we would hopefully open up more locations in the future – maybe even in the near future,” said Mr. Lee.