HAHIRA — Josh Owen bought Church Street Cafe July 1, 2016, because he has always wanted to be a business owner.

He chose to buy the cafe for the same reasons he ate there: It serves good food and has a good atmosphere.

Unfortunately, his role as business owner was forced into a hiatus Sept. 13 when the building had an electrical fire.

The fire didn’t raze the building but it did ruin the roof, destroy parts of the kitchen and blacken the entire dining area with soot, ash and charred wood.

The restaurant reopened Feb. 1 and Owen has resumed his role of running a business. The fire, while devastating for the business, gave Owen a chance to make the business his own.

Owen aimed for a rustic but modern flair. He brought in metal chairs where the joints are welded together, wooden tables, a vintage-looking Coke cooler and a table made out of a pecan tree in Ray City.

Prior to the restaurant fire, the cafe had old pictures from Hahira’s history on the walls. 

Owen rescued the pictures he could and has hung them back on the walls to help keep the hometown feel of the restaurant. He also brought in new paintings to complement the older photos and help add the modern flair to the restaurant.

During the interview, Owen looked around the building and talked about how the Bible mentions receiving beauty for ashes in Isaiah chapter 61, verse 3. To him, seeing the restaurant as it is now is like seeing ashes turn into beauty.

Because he was a patron of the restaurant before he bought it, Owen said he focuses on making the restaurant what he would want it to be as a customer.

For him, the restaurant is the go-to hole in the wall where visitors want to eat, and it is a hometown restaurant.

Hahira is not Owen’s home though. He lives in Moultrie but he attends church in Hahira, he said. He understands he is not a native to the community but he feels accepted by the community.

“It’s been mind blowing how well they’ve accepted us,” Owen said. 

He has talked with his wife and may be moving to Hahira.

With the restaurant up and running again, Owen aims to have great food, great service and a great experience.

For great food, Owen said his hamburgers are the “best around,” his new toasted bacon and pimento cheese sandwich has been a huge success and the club and reuben has “put us on the map,” he said.

To get great service, he just does what he would expect if he were still a patron.

“It’s just treating customers like you want to be treated,” he said.

To get the great experience, he knows he has to keep his restaurant clean and be willing to go the extra step.

The food is made to order in the restaurant, Owen said. There isn’t too much variety for breakfast and it may take a little longer, but Church Street Cafe will make food the way the customer wants it.

Making food the way a customer wants it also means putting a little bit more into the food, when it isn’t necessary.

“Quality is always important to us,” Owen said. “I could probably make more if I skimped.”

But he isn’t looking to make a quick buck, it is about making good food and Owen wants to make “something you want to eat and feel good eating afterwards,” he said.

Church Street Cafe is located at 107 S. Church St. and is open from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, find Church Street Cafe on Facebook or call (229) 794-3383.

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.