The owner of Taproom Coffee in Kirkwood has expanded operations with a coffee shop in Decatur.
Jonathan Pascual and his partners debuted Opo Coffee at 314 E. Howard Ave. in downtown Decatur earlier this month, with grand opening festivities Jan. 13-14, including giveaways and specials.
Opo, which means “yes” said with respect in Filipino, is a three-pronged concept.
A cafe offers coffee drinks including lattes, espresso and drip and by-the-cup single origin coffee, as well as a handful of teas.
The small food program includes several house-made pastries including muffins, cookies and scones, with “more substational” fare including quiche to be added soon, Pascual said.
Opo will also serve as a roastery, with beans also being used at Taproom. Up until now, Pascual said, all roasting has been done off-site. The shop will install a 15-kilo roaster, along with a smaller roaster for training, both visible to customers through a large window.
The third component of the business is training. Opo will offer professional certifications for baristas, roasters and other coffee professionals through the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
Situated in the former Ammazza space, Pascual said he did a significant remodel, including removing the bar that spanned the front of the room; expanding the former oven room, which became the roasting room; and replacing walk-in coolers with a classroom.
The design “was intentional,” Pascual said. “We wanted it to be welcoming, open and a fun place to hang out. We really wanted it to that true ‘third place.’” Design elements include pops of color like the pink that’s part of the Opo logo, white tiles and shelving and plants throughout the space.
Seating options inside include couches, two tops with chairs high bar seating, along with 40-50 seats on an outdoor patio in the back of the shop.
Pascual, an Atlanta native who held his first coffee job at the since-closed Starbucks Coffee on the Decatur, opened Taproom in 2014. He also helped open several Atlanta-based coffee shops including Chattahoochee Coffee Co., Land of A Thousand Hills Coffee and the coffee bar at Empire State South.
Opo Coffee’s opening hours are 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays.
314 E. Howard Ave., Decatur. opocoffee.com.
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