800 Marietta St. to Gain St. Croix-Based Coffee Shop

A permit that was recently filed with the city of Atlanta shows a new coffee shop is set to open soon.

It is being brought to 800 Marietta St. by owner Reginald Perry, a Chicago native who founded Grounded Café in 2017 in the beautiful U.S. Virgin Island of Saint Croix.

In a phone call with What Now Atlanta, Perry confirmed that he was opening a Grounded Café location in Atlanta.

“It’s a good place, great market,” he said. “I like the South, as well. It made good business sense to be in Atlanta and I think it’s the perfect opportunity.”

Since there’s not a lot to build out at the existing space, a mid-February or first of March opening is being eyed.

Grounded has become a go-to place for coffee and Wi-Fi on Saint Croix, expanding from one to three locations within the span of three years. For its coffee, Grounded uses fair-trade beans that Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Roots Java sources from the African country of Rwanda. Smoothies, specialty drinks, and freshly baked pastries are also served. For lunch, soups, signature sandwiches and salads are all on the menu.

The menu for the Atlanta location will largely be the same with some slight changes to fit the market. Perry is hoping to tailor to local college students and says homemade ice creams straight from the islands will be offered. “It’s some of the best ice cream you’ve ever tasted,” he said.

In an interview earlier this year with The St. Thomas Source, Perry said he would love for Grounded Café to become the Starbucks of the Caribbean and hinted at even more expansion. It appears that this first stateside location in Atlanta is exactly what he had in mind.

“I plan for Atlanta to have four Grounded locations by 2023 and then go from there,” Perry shared.

Originally from Chicago, Perry has been a part of the St. Croix community for 25 years. He moved to the island to manage the Hibiscus Beach Hotel in La Grande Princesse and after that worked at the University of the Virgin Islands and started a church ministry. According to the brand’s website, it was from this ministry that Grounded began “as an outreach/inreach to encourage visitors to come and have coffee before service”.

Note: This article has been updated since its original publication to include comment from the owner.