A popular coffee shop in Denton announced plans to reopen, nine months after a fire next door shut them down.
All the racket of saws, hammers and nail guns coming from a storefront on the Denton square are beautiful sounds to Amy and Joey Hawkins.
“If you come in here and you haven’t been here for four hours, something has happened,” said Joey Hawkins. “And you're like, wow!"
Eleven years ago, the couple opened Jupiter House. The past nine plus months, Denton's favorite coffee shop has been closed.
Last December 26th, the day after Christmas, the Hawkins had planned to spend the day at home with their two children. Then, they received a call. The Downtown Mini Mall next door was on fire.
“We were in shock,” said Joey Hawkins. “We didn't even know what to do."
The Hawkins figured they'd reopen within weeks, but with damage from smoke, water and the presence of asbestos, the place had to be gutted.
“There were people asking us every day, when are you going to be open?” said Amy Hawkins. “There was no answer we could give them, we didn't know."
Now, they do know. The owners announced this week Jupiter House will re-open in January.
“It's like we finally have something positive, and to work hard to make it happen,” she said.
The future for other businesses on the square in Denton is less certain. Two storefronts on the other side of the fire remain empty. A wall with a mural blocks the site of the burned out Downtown Mini Mall. Denton economic development officials say they have received no information regarding the property’s future.
But the Hawkins are excited. Looking forward to serving their customers -- once again.
“We counted on them, and they counted on us,” said Amy Hawkins. “So we're glad to welcome them back in here."
