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Haley Daniel

Restoration 49 to open next week

By Michael Butler

Coffee shops are popping up all across the USA. You could say that Americanos have become a part of Americana.

Tallassee will soon have its own coffee shop. Restoration 49 will open on Jan. 26. The process from purchase and resoration to doing business has taken three years.

Dylan and Haley Daniel bought the Patterson Building at 101 North Ann Avenue from the City of Tallassee in December of 2017. The facility was formerly the home of Sizemore and Sizemore. The city's plan to make the building a jail never materialized. 

"Haley and I have a lot of vision for Tallassee and bringing life back into the city, kind of getting rid of that mill mentality and poverty spirit that's over this region," Dylan said back in 2017. "One good way of that happening is putting lights on in these abandoned buildings, one business at a time."

The backdrop is a reclaimed gate from Thurlow Dam

The Daniels paid the city $40,000 for the 16,000 square-foot building and have completely transformed it. The community got a glimpse of the improvements, most recently with a free coffee day during the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce's Sidewalk Sale last June.

Hours of operation will be from from 5:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Restoration 49 will be closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Q and A with Haley Daniel of Restoration 49

How did you come up with the name "Restoration 49?"
Dylan’s first car he restored is a 1949 Ford which is in the coffee shop. The building was also built in 1949.

When did the idea for opening a coffee shop in Tallassee come about?
We used to live in downtown Opelika. Our favorite thing to do was to go down to the coffee shop and spend time together. When we moved to Tallassee about five years  ago, we knew this town needed something similar. It started as an idea but eventually turned into a reality.

Talk about the coffees and other menu items you will offer?
Our coffee roaster is Prevail out of Montgomery. We will be serving lattes, cappuccinos, drip coffee, americanos, Nitro cold brew, cold brew, pour overs, tea, tea lattes, espresso shots and hot chocolate.

What has the learning curve been like on mastering the job of barista?
The hardest part of mastering the job of barista has been learning how to froth the milk just right.

What is your favorite coffee drink and how much do you think you’ll consume on an average day?
My favorite coffee drink is an Americano- an espresso shot with hot water.  I usually drink about two a day.

What do you expect your clientele to be?
People of all ages and backgrounds. That has been the goal. A place that is appealing to everyone in the community.

Do you think this to become a popular hangout as many coffee shops are?
Yes! Socially distanced of course. We will be following the proper guidelines of spreading out tables and following the cleaning requirements. We hope this can be a place where people come to study or just come to hang out together.

The '49 Ford is the centerpiece of Restoration 49