Next month, beloved breakfast institution Java Jive will close after 30 years on Ponce de Leon Avenue on the edge of Virginia-Highland.
Owners Steven Horwitz and Shira Levetan announced the closure on Instagram, noting it will take place after service on Sunday, Dec. 22. Horwitz and Levetan did not provide a reason for the closure in the social media post.
Java Jive opened in 1994. The cash-only restaurant became known for its big, fluffy biscuits and egg dishes like the Greek omelet and Sante Fe breakfast scramble.
The retro vibe at Java Jive, with its kitschy decor and vintage dinette tables, continues to attract people to the restaurant, who come for the friendly service from the couple and their staff as much as they do for the hearty breakfast fare and bottomless cups of coffee. Horwitz and Levetan pride themselves on knowing their regulars by name, along with their orders. And no one seems to mind that Java Jive is still cash-only.
Rough Draft reached out to Horwitz and Levetan for comment on the closure. Check back for updates.
Java Jive marks the second closure of a longtime (and much-loved) Atlanta restaurant over the last month. On Nov. 16, Mi Barrio Mexican restaurant closed after 21 years on Memorial Drive in Grant Park. Owners Jesus and Martha Lopez retired from the business.
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Earlier this year, the previous owners of The Colonnade on Cheshire Bridge Road gave Atlantans a scare when they announced the sale of the nearly century-old restaurant. At the time of the sale announcement, many feared The Colonnade would fall victim to the wrecking ball, with the property possibly being redeveloped into condos or a mixed-use complex.
Former owners Jodi and David Stallings assured people that The Colonnade would live on under new ownership to preserve its legacy. They handed the keys to the restaurant over to regulars Lewis Jeffries and Paul Donahue, who became only the third owners of the Cheshire Bridge Road dining institution in its 97-year history.
Jeffries and Donahue, owners of Lingering Shade Social Club on Irwin Street, have been dining at The Colonnade for decades. Other than bringing back some popular items from the past, the menu remains intact. Donahue and Jeffries also plan to make some needed updates and improvements and give the dining room and lounge a minor refresh.