A new restaurant is coming to downtown Hinesville. It wasn’t an April fool’s Day joke, when local businesswoman Jennifer Flournoy said she has great plans for the old Coca-Cola building after she purchased the building which was previously used as Heritage Bank’s Operation Center. During the April 1, City of Hinesville Council meeting she talked about her plans to restore the building and turn it into a restaurant and bar with the possibility of also housing a micro-brewery / distillery. She also plans to rent a section of the warehouse unit to another local entrepreneur, using that facility as a bottling plant and distribution center for a locally labeled bottled water company.
Liberty Consolidate Planning Commission Executive Director Jeff Ricketson said the building served as a Coca-Cola plant from 1920 until 1990. Ricketson said the building is currently zoned C-2 and Flournoy is requesting the Mayor and Council rezone the property to Planned Develop District (PDD) so she can move forward with restoration plans and designs. Ricketson said Flournoy plans to register the building with the Georgia Historic Trust Foundation so the property can be preserved for its historic value.
Ricketson explained that the warehouse building could be used for water or beverage bottling due to an existing artesian well that is located on site. This space would also be used for a brewery/distillery.
During the public hearing Flournoy handed the council members, Mayor and others in attendance, samples of the water bottle design. She said Bryant Maude is ready to start bottling and distributing his “Liberty Water,” if the council approves the rezoning.
She said she is seeking a chef for the restaurant and plans to have a farm to table menu offering locally sourced foods.
“I am restoring the building back to its original number 3 Coca-Cola plant design,” she said explaining that Coca-Cola had only four different plant designs in the U.S. “I have the original plans that they drew and that is what I’m going back to.” Flournoy said the design is from the Art Deco era.
Mayor and council approved the rezoning unanimously.