As of March 23, Ross House Coffee at 320 W. Magnolia Ave. is not renewing its lease and will officially close on April 1. However, locals can rest knowing a new location under the same management will open on the same day at the Greystone Mansion: a new specialty tea shop named Greystone Tea.
The coffee and pastry shop on the north side of campus, at the base of the 320 West Mag apartment building, has been in operation for nearly four years since its opening on July 22, 2021, but this April marks its final month in the location.
Interior sign decoration at the 320 West Magnolia Ross House Coffee.
As of March 23, a letter explaining the closure from Jarrod Holt, manager of Ross House Coffee, is posted on the 320 W. Magnolia Ave. location's doors.
The ordering counter of the 320 West Magnolia Ross House Coffee.
“Due to the ending of our lease, providential circumstances, and believing this is the Lord’s will for our business, Ross House 320 W. Mag management and equipment will be moving into our original location at 150 N. Ross St. RH 320 W. Mag Ave. will close April 1, and we’ll use the next couple of months to rest, prepare, and transition into 150 N. Ross St before fully transitioning over the summer, all while keeping business open at 150,” the statement reads. “The Lord has certainly blessed our time here at 320 and we are beyond grateful for the friendships that have been formed, the memories that have been made, and the honor and joy it has been to serve this campus and community. Although we are sad to say goodbye, we are expectant for the next chapter to come: growing in our craft and service, expanding our roastery, and further fostering and environment of fellowship and good coffee.”
An antique decoration inside the 320 West Magnolia Ross House Coffee.
The original Ross House Coffee on North Ross Street has been open for nine years. The "Ross House" itself is a 120-year-old residence adorned with a wraparound porch that was once home to Auburn University students.
The 160 North Ross location of the Ross House Coffee.
About 10 years ago, when rumors surfaced that the house would be torn down, Auburn students launched a #SavetheRossHouse campaign on social media. The “Ross House” was one of the last remaining historic homes in the area as Auburn continued to develop.
Eventually, the owner of the dubbed “Ross House,” Stephen Benson, partnered with Toni Holt, owner of Ross House Coffee, to save the house and open a faith-based coffee shop. Preserving the nostalgia, Holt and Benson helped create the now local staple.
However, while the 320 W. Magnolia Ave. location is closing, Ross House Coffee is opening a specialty tea shop named Greystone Tea on April 1. The name derives from its new location in the Greystone Mansion at 434 E. Magnolia Ave. The Greystone Mansion is similar to the original Ross House in its design, reflecting a simpler time with antique art and furniture.
“The [320 W. Mag Ave.] location has done really well. Our lease was up, and [we] have the opportunity to do this tea shop instead. The lease will actually be less over here, and we are tripling the amount of space, because it’s a huge house," Holt said. "It was built in 1869, so it has that old charm, just like Ross House does, and has good parking, so you don’t have to fight that traffic on Magnolia. We’re calling it Greystone Tea, and we will be serving specialty teas, hot and iced, chai, matcha and kombucha. We will also have Ross House drip coffee, then we’ll be doing pastries and desserts."
Holt hopes the new venue will attract large groups to have high noon tea. The location is looking to host sorority events, Bible studies and local get-togethers because of its warmth, size and easy access. The Greystone Tea location will also offer soups of the day and specialty sandwiches, which will rotate each week.
At the current Ross House Coffee locations, guests may hear worship music over the shop's speakers, see Bibles on the shelves or a group of fellow guests praying together at a table. Toni Holt wants these same practices to carry over into the Greystone Tea location as well.
"I’m hoping to carry that over at the [Greystone Mansion] too. We’ll still be playing our worship music, and I want it to be a place where people feel comfortable opening their Bibles, having Bible studies and praying with each other. We want that same feeling that they have at the other locations to come and do that,” Toni Holt said.
The Greystone Tea location will be open to the public on April 1.
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