When our owners first toured what has been transformed into the Ponce City Market over three years ago, it was a mess. The hulking brick shell of what was once a Sears & Roebuck store, distribution center, and regional office had been mostly empty for 30 years. But Jamestown Properties had a vision for what could be and the owners of Batdorf & Bronson® could see it too. We were one of the first tenants to sign on to the project.
When they asked us to operate a coffeehouse attached to their leasing office, which was going into the gas station on the corner of North and Glenn Iris, we had to squint a little to see it, but we were familiar with several Jamestown projects. We knew what they could do and we knew we could work with them to create something special. Thats exactly what happened.
The Old 4th Ward Neighborhood adopted us immediately. Our deck was never our deck. It has been, from day one, the neighborhoods deck. And the coffee bar is very busy, even during the cold months when the deck is a chilly spot to drink a cup of our coffee. Our friendly and welcoming staff have been a good fit for the Old 4th Ward and the community focus emphasized by Jamestown. For hundreds of people driving across town in every direction every day, the Dancing Goats® Coffee Bar at Ponce City has become a part of their daily routine.
By every measure, Dancing Goats® at Ponce City has been a success and set the stage for a Dancing Goats® in every neighborhood in Atlanta well, maybe. Can you imagine?