Atlanta coffee shop offers safe space to anyone being followed in neighborhood

ATLANTA — An Atlanta espresso store is now vowing to serve up espresso and security.

ParkGrounds espresso is tucked away alongside Flat Shoals Avenue in southeast Atlanta and is open seven days every week. The store, discovered within the coronary heart of historic Reynoldstown, introduced Sunday it could open its doorways to anybody who felt like they had been being adopted or harassed within the neighborhood.

The proprietor, John Gianoulidis, made the declaration in his non-public neighborhood Fb group after seeing a number of studies of individuals feeling uncomfortable as they famous unwelcomed onlookers.

“I noticed some posts on our Fb neighborhood web page about a few individuals being adopted, a few individuals being photographed, adopted in automobiles, adopted on foot,” he mentioned. 

Gianoulidis, who lives in Reynoldstown, defined he desires his enterprise to be a protected place for many who is perhaps at risk and vowed to make {that a} actuality.

“I made a decision it is a good suggestion to make individuals conscious that they’ll come into my espresso store and we’ll name the police if we’ve to. We’ll simply stand there collectively if we’ve to,” he mentioned. 

Gianoulidis defined that previously, he is had individuals come into the store who’ve been bothered or harassed, realizing that he is a neighbor there to assist. 

“It is no pores and skin off my nostril to say, ‘hey, my door is open, come and sit on the sofa,’” mentioned Gianoulidis.