Local business owners save Midtown coffee house, storefronts

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Some Cooper-Young business owners are teaming up to create what they say could be a collector’s paradise and the coolest, nerdiest place in town.

Shannon Merritt and Harry Koniditsiotis, co-owners of 901 Toys on Young Avenue, purchased the building that houses their business, along with the recently closed Java Cabana coffee house and Loudean’s clothing store.

Merritt also co-owns 901 Comics in the strip mall next door. Merritt and Koniditsiotis said the current plan is to renovate and reopen Java Cabana, move 901 Toys to the much bigger Loudean’s space, and rent out the old 901 Toys storefront to another business.

“So we’re trying to build the coolest, nerdiest place in Memphis,” Merritt said. “We’ve got 901 Comics, 901 Toys, and Goner Records right there. We’re also trying to get a video game store to move in where 901 Toys is now.”

Merritt, Koniditsiotis, and Blake Marcum paid $525,000 for the buildings in the 2100 block of Young Avenue and plan to spend about $50,000 sprucing up the storefronts and bringing Java Cabana up to code.

Koniditsiotis said Java Cabana is a piece of Midtown history they wanted to preserve.

“I’ve been living in Cooper-Young for 20 years, and Java Cabana has always been a fixture. I’m a musician. It’s actually the first place I ever played,” Koniditsiotis said. “We all kind of like the home environment of the place, and it’s just a neighborhood staple in the center of creative arts of Memphis for years — 30 plus years.”

Koniditsiotis and Merritt said they are still working out the menu for Java Cabana but plan to use local roaster beans and pastries from local bakeries. They also plan to keep the coffee shop open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., add a pickup window, and host live music events there.

“I am a big Midtown Memphis guy. My college years I was hanging out Java. I’ve got a soft spot for it, being at the comic shop for eight years,” Merritt said. “I convinced my business partners that if they ever sell the building, we should buy it, and we should renovate it and bring it back to the Midtown Community.”

Merritt also wanted to prevent outside developers from coming in and tearing down the place. Java Cabana is expected to reopen in mid or late October.

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