A better cup of java and more. What to expect when this downtown Macon coffee shop reopens

For Kevin Reaves, closing the beloved coffee shop he co-owns in downtown Macon last November was heartbreaking.

“It was simply a lack of staff,” Reeves said of Taste & See Coffee Shop & Gallery’s sudden closing in November. “Literally, we tried everything to keep it open, but we knew with Christmas coming up, there was no way for us to be able to get enough new staff and get everybody trained.”

Reaves co-owns Taste & See with Bryan Nichols, who also owns several downtown lofts and is the man behind the annual Main Street Christmas Light Show Extravaganza. The two friends and business partners also own Macon Rocks Climbing Gym in downtown Macon. Reaves also owns a software company with his brother.

Praying to reopen later, Reaves said they decided to take a sabbatical, lay it down and see what God might do.

“We just really started dreaming and honestly we were praying that if this is the direction we were supposed to go that we would be able to open back up,” he said.

While they were closed, they heard from people who told them if they decided to reopen, they wanted to work there, Reaves said. And since they’ve made the decision to reopen, they’ve gotten “a ton of applications.”

What to expect

When they reopen, customers can expect to not only enjoy their signature homemade syrups and sauces but also an even a better cup of coffee. They’ll be roasting their own coffee in the back of the shop.

About three weeks before they closed when one of Reaves’ daughters was working as a barista, a man came into the coffee shop who’s a master roaster.

The man, Matt Luce, is also a part-time missionary with World Gospel Mission and travels all over the world. Luce wanted to set up a meeting when he got back from his next trip to South America.

By the time he returned, the coffee shop had closed. He reached out to Reaves.

“We hit it off right away,” Reaves said. “Ever since day one when I opened the coffee shop — when it was my mind and my wife’s vision and dream to do this — we knew we wanted to roast our own coffee one day.

“That way we have complete control over what brands we did and whatnot and just coming up with our own special coffees that you can’t get anywhere else around here. So this presented an opportunity for us.”

They’re shooting to reopen sometime in October but don’t have a date yet.

Roasting on site

When Luce returns from his latest mission trip, this time in South Africa, they’ll move a roaster to the back of the shop, which they are going to build out in the back to be able to accommodate the roaster.

“We will be able to roast our own coffee and create our own blends,” Reaves said. “ And so we’re super excited about that because it just brings another element for us; what we’ve always wanted to do, and honestly, I didn’t have the time or the knowledge to know how to roast.”

Luce brings that expertise.

“So it’s a perfect match,” Reaves said. “ We’re very like minded.”

Also rejoining the coffee shop is Reno Barrera, who will serve as a co-manager.

Barrera previously worked for Taste & See before getting married and moving to Kennesaw. He’s run several coffee shops in the greater Atlanta area.

Reaves also plans to become more involved, planning to learn the barista side of the business.

Already known for making their own natural syrups and sauces without preservatives or chemicals, roasting their own coffee will take the coffee shop to the next level.

They’ll be buying coffee from small farmers in areas where Luce travels on his mission trips.

“It allows us to help them and in turn they sell their coffee beans to us, and we get them shipped here and then we’ll be able to roast right in the back,” Reaves said.

Right now, they’ve got a grower in Thailand and another in Bolivia.

“Once he gets back, we’re gonna have other countries we’re going to be bringing in from places he goes to, and then, we’re going to create our own blends by actually combining coffees from different regions and whatnot and tweaking it,” Reaves said.

More than a business

While heartbreaking to have had to close, Reaves said he’s been thankful for the downtime, which has included enjoying a new grandbaby.

Besides, the coffee shop has never been about drawing a paycheck, Reaves said, noting his other businesses.

But he does want the coffee shop to earn enough revenues to pay bills, pay his employees and then use what’s leftover to support missions and other ministries.

A ministry board hangs in the restaurant.

“All those ministries … my wife and I and my family deal firsthand with on a regular basis,” Reaves said. “They’re not just organizations that we found that we just stick up on the board.

“No, they are ones that we have given to, that we have served and ... have done many different things. And so, that’s really where our hearts are … And Bryan is the same way.”

Reaves and Nichols met in church and became good friends. Their families have grown up together.

“It’s great when you have people that have the same mindset and same goal, “ Reaves said. “Our goal has never been anything other than just providing something different in downtown and being a ministry downtown, being a great place to hang out, you know, all walks, all religions, all people, you know, doesn’t matter.”

Because they own the building that houses Taste & See, the coffee shop is still in great shape, he said.

“We’ve gone in there and, you know, periodically made sure everything’s working right and whatnot,” he said. “So, everything’s still the same.”

They’ve also got a couple of other things on the horizon that they’re planning when they open. But Reaves said he wants to keep that under wraps for now as they fine-tune their plans and get everything lined up.

Organic & gluten & dairy free

But something that Reeves did share that’s also new is that they’ll be offering organic lettuce that’s hydroponically grown in a greenhouse.

In addition to offering organic salads, his son, Lander, who will serve as chef, has plans to make homemade soups for those who have gluten and dairy sensitivities like himself. They expect to offer other gluten-free and vegan options.

“We’ll still have the stuff that if you just want to come in and get a good ol’ piece of cake — something that’s not dairy or gluten sensitive,” Reaves said.

Reaves’ daughters and his wife also will be working at the coffee shop.

“A lot of the old things are coming back,” Reaves said. “ We’re gonna do some new things as well — change up some menus and some other things.

“It will still be Taste and See and people will still notice a lot of their favorites. But like I said, at the same time, there’ll be some new things as well.”

Reaves expects that they won’t offer as many syrups and sauces at one time but will rotate selections and some offerings will move to a seasonal menu.

“Most of our favorites and most popular drinks and whatnot will be back. But there will be some things that will be turned into seasonal items,” he said.

“Obviously, when fall rolls around, people expect us to have our pumpkin spice because we make it from scratch. Same thing with gingerbread lattes. All those are made in house from scratch. They’re not pulled out of a bottle or anything.”