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Decatur Coffeehouse and Poetry Slam Hub Java Monkey Won’t Reopen After All

Java Monkey has remained closed since November after sustaining damage from a deliberately set fire

The extent of the fire damage to Java Monkey in Decatur is unknown Java Monkey
Beth McKibben is the editor and staff reporter for Eater Atlanta and has been covering food and cocktails locally and regionally for 12 years.

Decatur coffeehouse Java Monkey isn’t reopening, according to Decaturish. Java Monkey has remained closed since November after sustaining serious damage from a fire apparently set by former employee Rickey Thomas. Thomas was arrested and jailed in April and faces first degree arson charges.

The opening of chef Terry Koval’s B-Side Cafe across the street and longtime Java Monkey patrons unhappy with changes made by the new owner prior to the fire were cited as contributing factors for the closure.

Java Monkey opened 25 years ago on Church Street in downtown Decatur. The shop regularly hosted spoken word artists and poetry slams and was a hub for poetry readings and events during the Decatur Book Festival, held annually over Labor Day weekend.

Java Monkey’s weekly poetry open mic night, Java Speaks, is now held nearby at Ammazza pizzeria on East Howard Avenue at 8 p.m. on Sunday evenings.

Java Monkey

425 Church Street, , GA 30030 (404) 378-5002 Visit Website

Ammazza

591 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, , GA 30312 (404) 835-2298 Visit Website