New dining options opening
Three new coffee shops are opening up in Wiggins this year.
Southern Turnings is opening a second drive-thru location on Highway 26; Sleepy Bear Coffee is under construction next to Popeyes; and Sweet Magnolia Coffee Co. opened downtown on Monday, March 20.
“We’ve had this idea for a couple of years now. This is hopefully our retirement.” said Sweet MagnoliaCoffee Co. owner, Danny Stonestreet.
Danny is operating the venture with his wife, Jeanie Stonestreet.
Danny is from Jackson, and Jeanie was born in Hawaii, where her father was stationed. Her family later moved to Jackson.
The couple met in 2009 and married in 2011.
“We sold our home in Orange Grove and bought a place in McHenry in September of 2020 and started shopping in Wiggins,” Danny said. “We fell in love with the place, and since I was ready to retire from tattooing after 26 years, we decided to open a coffee shop here.”
He said Jeanie has been making craft coffee for about eight years. The couple work in the cafe at their church in Gulfport.
Right now, Sweet Magnolia will serve breakfast and lunch items.
“Although we are conventional in the sense we make craft and specialty coffee, we’re probably not in the design of the shop,” Danny said.
With a name like Sweet Magnolia Coffee Co., you would expect a country-inspired theme. It’s anything but that.”
The Stonestreets spent over four months renovating the former dance studio on Magnolia Drive to suit their needs.
“We wanted to create an inviting and comfortable atmosphere where everyone is welcome and served the same,” he said. “We’ve painted and decorated with things we like and think are fun. We have tried to not over do it at the beginning and just let things grow organically, so we’ll see which direction it goes from here.”
Danny said the cafe will start small and try to serve customers as best they can while trying to provide a little something for everyone.
“We want to thank everyone who has reached out to us, the other businesses as well as individuals who have inquired about or just welcomed us to the area,” Danny said. “We look forward to meeting you all and hope we can make lifelong friends and neighbors. Stop in and grab a drink or a bite, or just say hey. We’ll be proud you did.”
