Mad Priest Coffee Roasters, runner-up in Tennessee in Food and Wine Magazine’s “The Best Coffee in Every State” article, is expanding to open a full café and cocktail bar at 719 Cherry Street.
Michael Rice, owner of Mad Priest Coffee Roasters, and Matt Sears, owner of Haskel and Sears Design and Construction and the 719 Cherry Street building will be partnering in a new venture called The Mad Priest: Coffee & Cocktails.
The Mad Priest will open at 7 a.m. to serve coffee alongside light, healthy breakfast and lunch options throughout the day. In the evening, the new space will transition to a full craft cocktail bar with beer, wine and tapas. The grand opening is set for early fall.
“Good drinks open our minds to new possibilities, spark creativity and bridge people and cultures,” Rice says. “We endeavor to continue in the tradition of the early coffee houses of the Ottoman Empire, which were places of socializing, intellectual discourse and political debate.”
Rice and Sears will run a Kickstarter campaign in June to raise money to cover some of the start-up costs. Rewards will include gift cards, tickets to cultural events and coffee.
To get things percolating, they’re hosting a free launch party on Friday, June 1 at the new Chattanooga Whiskey Distillery with coffee, cocktails, food and live music. Information: www.madpriestcha.com.
Source: Mad Priest Coffee Roasters