[ALERT] New Orleans Coffee Shop PJ's Coffee

PJ's Coffee of New Orleans has its eyes on a return to metro Atlanta.  The New Orleans-based coffee shop will on August 4 open a new location in Rome and according to a separate release, has plans to open twelve locations in metro Atlanta in the years to come.  

Although based in New Orleans, PJ's has for several years had ties to and locations in metro Atlanta as it was from 2002 until 2008 owned by Raving Brands, a restaurant holding company most widely known for having created Moe's Southwest Grill.   

The new franchise in Rome is being opened at 402 E. 2nd Avenue by franchisee Mike Liggons.  The 3,000 square foot freestanding building was heavily renovated to suit the needs of the coffee shop.  Locals may recall that for more than six decades the building was home to The Shrimp Boat, a once prolific seafood chain that started in the 1950s.  The Rome location opened in 1958, and after several ownership changes, closed for good in August 2023. 

When PJ's was last in metro Atlanta, it had several units around town, including those on Johnson Ferry Road in East Cobb (now Dunkin'), Atlantic Station (now Rose Bistro and Champagne Bar), and along Powers Ferry Road (now Dunkin').  

In addition to coffee and food such as sandwiches, egg bites, and muffins, PJ's is perhaps most known for offering fresh beignets, a New Orleans staple that can be hard to find outside of the Big Easy.  

The Rome location joins another location in Greensboro (Lake Oconee) which opened in early 2021 before being sold and celebrating a grand "reopening" under new ownership last May.  

PJ's this past December announced that it had "partnered with an experienced local franchise family with deep ties to the Atlanta community to introduce 10 locations in the area, combined with two additional locations planned by existing PJ’s franchisees."  ToNeTo Atlanta contacted representatives of PJ's to learn more about the Atlanta plans and who the franchisee leading the effort is, but have not received a reply.  

Are you excited about the planned return of PJ's Coffee to metro Atlanta?  What is your favorite coffee shop?  Do you remember when PJ's was here before? 

Please share your thoughts below.