Everyone loves a community coffee shop. It’s a place where they feel at home and can relax with a cold or hot caffeinated beverage of choice while meeting friends or working on a project. The trend we’ve been seeing in coffee shops is a monochrome color palate of white walls with black accents. While that certainly makes them look pristine, sometimes it keeps the place from feeling cozy. The Culturist Union is bringing the Savannah coffee shop experience back to its community roots.
The plans to open The Culturist Union were first announced in 2019 with original plans to open in 2020 in a space off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. 2020 came and went without the shop opening.
“That was, I guess, a combination of COVID, supply shortages, construction rates going astronomical, and there was just no room to construct the place the way that we needed to,” said owner Elbi Elm. “We had to pivot and find a new location.”
But owner Elbi Elm found a home for The Culturist Union on Bull Street this year.
“It’s funny because this was my original place, but there was a church [nearby]. I didn’t think we would be able to get our beer and wine license, so we passed on it. A whole year later, the landlord gives me a ring and says, ‘The church is gone. What are you thinking?’ It was right after we moved on from the other place, so I think it was just kind of Divine timing.”
The Culturist Union had its soft opening in April with a grand opening planned for June 17. Right now, this seems to be the coffee shop everyone is talking about. A big part of that is the single-sourced coffee from a farm in Africa, tea from Savannah’s own Ashford Tea Company, and the food. The food all comes from local vendors, and you absolutely have to try the pound cake made by using Elbi’s great grandmother’s recipe.
Loni Lewis, a bartender at Ardsley Station, helped create a few drinks for the menu including a wine and espresso cocktail.
In Elbi’s own words, The Culturist Union is hyper-focused on community. When she was decorating the location she went with earth tones, mismatched chairs, fabric from Nigeria, and work from local artists. Pair that with the decadent coffees and a slice of that pound cake, and you have a place that directly translates into a welcoming atmosphere. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
The Culturist Union 3129 Bull Street Savannah, GA Follow on Facebook and Instagram
