The Upper Room: Atlanta’s new community bar

In Atlanta, Georgia’s popular Ponce City Market is home to a new community destination that goals to bring people along with a curated menu of coffee, light snacks and Black-owned alcohol brands.

Founded by restaurateur Kelsey Maynor, who co-owns Atlanta Breakfast Club and Le Petite Marche, and Shakirah DeMesier, a marketer and actor, Upper Room is a lounge and event space offering a various menu including coffees, teas, matcha, smoothies, freshly squeezed juices and a curated number of Black-owned wines and beers. On the food side, guests can enjoy snacks akin to white truffle parmesan popcorn and cold cuts, in addition to dishes akin to plantain patties, curry chicken salad and Caesar salad.

“We wanted to create a brand that would give exposure to our friends’ brands,” Maynor says . “Beverages and food are a culmination of the flavor profiles we like.”

The new café and bar, open from Wednesday to Sunday, has been created with the local community in mind, following the vision of the 2 founders “a vibrant paradise where people can come together to work, chill out and organize unforgettable events, making a true community bar space,” says Maynor.

In addition to coffee, tea, spirits and lightweight snacks, The Upper Room offers a spread of hands-on activities, providing customers with the chance to attach with friends and meet new people.

“We pride ourselves on bringing people together,” DeMesier says.

The cocktail menu features Black-owned spirits, featuring drinks akin to Dyl (Bayab gin, spiced pear liqueur, lemon juice, butterfly peas and St. Germaine) and Fall of Eden (Uncle Nearest whiskey, Mercier apple butter, cherry liqueur, and bitter). Every Friday, cocktail classes feature a wide range of Black-owned alcohol brands, akin to Reyalibre tequila and Uncle Nearest whiskey. Participants will learn concerning the history of the brand, shaking and mixing techniques, and create original cocktails using these alcohols.

During the autumn season, customers can participate in coffee cup classes where they find out about the various differences in coffee. The Upper Room can also be partnering with Linwood Court Candles at Citizen Supply for a candle-making class where you possibly can enjoy a two-cocktail drink special for $25.

Thanks to its floral and green style, the 16-seat bar with comfortable sofas will change into a house away from home for residents.

“You feel like you are in your favorite corner of the house or in the space where you stay in your grandmother’s living room. It’s a feeling of comfort,” DeMesier says. – You can sit down and stay for a while. It’s a friendly and open place.”