You don’t need me to sit here and drop 200-300 words to know that Downtown Savannah’s MLK corridor is absolutely on the move. All you have to do, is drive by and see it for yourself. Businesses are beginning to pop up with a little more frequency and still others are on the way.

One indicator of what is happening on the section of MLK, Junior Blvd. South of the flyover is a fairly new cocktail bar decided to open early to offer coffee and pastries to the neighborhood.

Hawthorn Mini-Bar and Lounge is that cocktail bar. They began the coffee and tea service this week at 524 MLK Junior Blvd. They are opening 6 days a week at 8am.

Hawthorn opened last December to rave reviews. The decor is beautiful, the attention to detail behind the bar is top shelf. Hawthorn’s cocktail program rivals anything you will find in Savannah. So much so, in less than a year, it has become a favorite night spot for locals. Visitors to Savannah have yet to find Hawthorn, which-along with ease of parking-make it a welcomed choice for locals to enjoy an evening downtown.

So, yes, great little bar with solid cocktails. But morning coffee?

I do have to say, I found this a little odd at first, but once I thought it through, I kinda like the idea.

The bar serves the Historic District’s Southwest corners, if you will. Most of you may know it as the area surrounding the very popular Crystal Beer Parlor, Anita Deli (both on Jefferson) and Black Rabbit (on Barnard Street). In between, there isn’t much to speak of outside of A Taco Affair on Montgomery Street, and none of them are offering anything before 11am.

Hawthorn hopes to fill that void in a section of downtown that appears to be evolving very quickly. On Hawthorn’s block alone there are plans for 3 new restaurants. We’ll have more on those another time.

So coffee service it is, for now. We should mention that this is just plain drip coffee and simple high quality teas they are doing. I stopped in for a cup this week and the brew is strong and delicious. If you are looking for frothy milks and mochas and all of the bells and whistles that can accompany a cup of coffee these days, then Hawthorn is not your spot. The good news is Origin Coffee Bar is just 2 or so blocks to the North on MLK at Jones Street across from Rancho Alegre. It happens to be one of the best specialty coffee shops in the city.

So, as I mention on the regular around here, options are good. This one, while a smidge unorthodox, has a chance to catch on. Especially with the service industry crowd looking to enjoy a mid-week day off with an Irish Coffee (or similar) at 9am. Or an Air BnB visitor looking to kick start their holiday with a mimosa. Hawthorn welcomes them all.

Yes, the bar is open too. They are closed on Sundays.

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