Located in a snug little cream-colored house on U.S. Highway 278 is Edwin Bean Coffee Bar, one of the newest additions to the county's collection of coffee houses.
Edwin "Dale" Thompson, who owns the business with his wife Margie, says they were trying to recreate the feel of the enormously popular coffee bars of America's Northwest where coffeemakers have turned the consumption of java into an art form and a lifestyle.
Edwin Bean features three sitting rooms with plenty of tables and comfortable chairs, a large conference room which can be reserved, outdoor seating and free Wi-Fi. Thompson said he and his wife fell in love with the nearly 100-year-old house and jumped at the chance to purchase it when it was put up for sale last year.
Thompson proudly says his shop is "a mirror reflection" of the coffee bars in the Northwest. Before opening their shop Thompson said he and his wife traveled to several coffee shops in the Northwest where they learned about the fine art of roasting coffee beans.
Their roaster, Counter Culture Coffee, is a fair trade coffee seller. Edwin Bean coffee is made from high quality organic arabica coffee beans grown all over the world including Kenya, Mexico, Sumatra and Ethiopia.
Emphasizing quality over quantity, Thompson said Edwin Bean strives to provide the optimal coffee drinking experience.
"We're very concerned about the quality of each cup of coffee," Thompson said.
French press coffee, café au lait, shot in the dark and caramel macchiato are all popular items. Smoothies, steamers (lattes without the coffee) and Italian sodas are also available. Regular coffees are $1.65, large coffees are $1.85, cappuccinos are $3.10 and a cup of espresso is $2.25.
For the non-coffee drinker, hot chocolate, gourmet tea, soda and juice are available.
Edwin Bean also serves a variety of pastries baked in the Bronx at Sweet Sams Baking Co. and shipped to Georgia. The cinnamon rolls and scones are baked locally and the cheese cake is from The Cheesecake Factory.
Catering trays are available. Allow at least 24 hours in advance for a tray order.
