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Hendershot’s Coffee Bar
Serving the Community
Athens' Only Locally Owned Outfitter
"■—V ^ lollipop in one hand and his mother's fin-
/""I gers in the other, two-year-old Gil Romero-
VA Heesacker toddles through the front door
of Hendershot's, noticeably comfortable in his surrounds. From
behind the counter, owner Seth Hendershot greets the family,
first saying hello to mother Amy Heesacker, then turning his
attention to the tiny tyke attached to her hand.
“Hey, gang, how's it going? What can I get you today?" asks
Hendershot from behind the bar.
“What do you want, sweetie?" Heesacker leans down asking,
as Gil stares up at the massive menu, obviously unable to deci
pher one thing from another. "You want a hot chocolate?"
Gil shakes his head vigorously. So enthusiastically, in fact,
that the head shaking tosses the lollipop from his hands to
the floor, where the candy smashes into tiny bits and pieces.
Instantly, Gil's little face turns from cheery to distraught, his
hopes of a morning sugar-high now as shattered as his sucker.
Just as the youngster is about to let out the cry heard 'round
the world, Hendershot sweeps in to save the day or, at least,
the moment.
"Oh, here you go, little dude. How about this nice hot
chocolate instead of that candy?" Hendershot says, placing a
top on the whipped cream-covered drink and handing it to the
small, outstretched hand. Downing the first sip of his cupped
beverage, Gil again smiles, his broken sucker long forgotten.
"We're here all the time," says Heesacker, sighing with relief
that she avoided her two-year-old's tantrum and has gotten a
cappuccino for herself. "We love this place. I'm just so glad it
opened on this side of town."
Opened in August as a venture for Hendershot and his more
or less silent business partner Chris Godfrey, the coffee shop/
bar/music venue is attempting to supply something not already
offered in Athens. No, not a just coffee shop—we have those.
No, not a just coffee shop with alcohol—we have those, too.
And no, not just a music venue—we certainly have plenty •
of those. What Hendershot's is, essentially, is a blend of the
three, created by a local guy who loves music, loves his com
munity and wants both to survive outside of the highly traf
ficked blocks of downtown and Five Points.
"We really want this to be one of those places where
families and students and everyone can be comfortable^"
Hendershot says. "We start shows at 8 p.m. so we can accom
modate that crowd. We don't serve Jager bombs so we don't
scare off that crowd. The goal here, for me with Hendershot's,
is to serve the community, to share with the community out
side of the downtown symbiosis."
Located next to the westside Transmetropolitan,
Hendershot's occupies the space of a former service station,
and these old fuel-up days are still present, but not in that
faux-urban kind of way; Instead, the neutral cinderblock walls
lend the perfect backdrop for dramatic displays of local artwork
and photography. The4ong, floor-to-ceiling Windows make the
space seem more outside than in. The gray cement floor is
Hendershot's Coffee Bar is located at 1560 Oglethorpe Rd. and is open
from 6:30 a.m. to Up.m., Monday-Friday; 7.-30 a.m. to midnight on
Saturdays; 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays. For mere information, cail
(706)353-3050.
Anna Ferguson Hall
7
both practical and quirky. The life-size chess set in the court
yard is just plain cool. Hendershot's gives off a strangely warm
industrial charm, the kind of atmosphere that only works when
the chemistry of everything else is utterly in sync. Not that it
was planned that way.
"I mean, I had this very basic idea of what I wanted this
place to, be," Hendershot says. "I knew where I wanted the
stage to be and where the bar should be, but really, all the
ambiance and the style just came together on their own."
This haphazard good karma has proven a boon to
Hendershot throughout his life, both personally and as^ busi
ness owner. Being a musician in town, Hendershot has come
to know the local music scene inside and out, making friends
and connections at just about every turn. When he decided to
finally settle down and meld business with pleasure in the form
of his coffee shop/bar, he
called on this friends and
connections for support.
Quickly, he «ays, his local
buddies were there to
lend a hand and a guitar,
more than happy to play
for beer and tips during
these days of business
start-up. This isn't hard
to believe, seeing as
Hendershot may be one
of the friendliest business
owners in Athens, always
quick to offer a smile and
a "What's up, brother?"
to his customers, most of
whom he actually knows
by name. Who wouldn't
want to help this guy
and his business be a
success?
"I have been very
lucky that I have a lot
of musicians friends and
networks in the community, and I have called in a lot of favors
lately," Hendershot says. "My friends have really helped us
launch a killer music scene here, and the stage is in use every
night for performances. People are embracing it, supporting us.
I've seen how people really gather over coffee... and beer...
and music."
That's one of the things that Hendershot says he likes most
about his coffee/beer shop. It's a place for making connec
tions, networking and getting familiar with the community as a
whole. Here, between caffeine-laden sips and pours of Terrapin,
people can meet and get to know one another. This gathering
place he has created is more than just a spot for refreshments,
It is a place to come and be refreshed, he says.
Since opening its doors four months ago, Hendershot's Las
developed a regular schedule of events, with every evening
dedicated to a performance genre. Mondays are for open mic
night; Wednesdays for solo artists; Fridays for bluegrass, and
the rest of the week has a bit of everything else tossed in.
During the day, Hendershot's has also seen its share of the
town's students, as well as the occasional group meetings and
even a few baby showers. In coming months, Hendershot is
planning to keep the music schedule flowing and may even
expanding the drinks menu, adding in a few liquors for those
seeking an Irish coffee.
"I was hesitant at first to add liquor to the menu because
Tike I said, I want that calmer crowd, more mature crowd,"
Hendershot says. "I didn't want people puking in the corner
from doing shots. But then I realized, this is my bar, and I
don't have to serve shots. I can serve cranberry vodkas if I
want I mean, I've never seen anyone get violent off of cran
berry vodkas."
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