The Coffee Bar at Outpost Inn

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: August 2024 | Photograph By: Susan Renfro

“It’s where Neil Young would be at home if he came to Appalachia,” is how Jason Reeves described it. He was talking about his latest venture, or should I say adventure – the conversion of the former Wells Hotel into what is now The Outpost Inn.

A native of Virginia, Reeves discovered Highlands while studying at Sewanee. But it wasn’t until 2016 that he decided that Highlands was where he wanted to put his money. After college he moved to Charleston and spent some time restoring 18th century houses before enrolling at Boston University where he received a Master’s in Historic Preservation. He got another master’s at Harvard in design studies with a focus on real estate, spent 15 years working in New York City, and moved back to Charleston.

In 2016, Reeves and his young daughter outran a hurricane and ended up at Main Street Inn. “We ate at Main Street Inn, and I knew I wanted to invest and create Highlander Mountain House,” he said. He chased it down for years before finally getting a contract in 2019. At Highlander Mountain House, “The whole concept is the English country house hotels found in the Cotswolds, transposed into Southern Appalachia,” he explained.

Mixing eras and design influences is Reeves’ thing. It is the same design ethos he followed at the Outpost Inn, which he says feels like a funky mountain retreat from the 70s. Like the rooms, the inn’s generous public spaces are furnished with a mix of important mid-century pieces from prominent designers, sprinkled with primitive and rustic pieces found at flea markets. With tables for workspaces, comfortable chairs, and low-slung lounge seating, the spacious lobby, and adjacent outdoor areas that include a terrace, side patio, and main firepit area, offered a dazzling opportunity to locate the perfect European-style coffee bar.

Open six days a week, the Coffee Bar brews Methodical espresso-based coffees, drip coffee, cold brew, and chai tea along with complimentary banana bread from 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Reeves has said that he designs his spaces to be immersive, that he wants his guests to be enveloped, to feel cozy. The setting for the morning routine matters – there’s something especially pleasing about sipping coffee, reading the paper or meeting a friend in an environment so whimsical and enchanting. The mood is welcoming and casual – the coffee simply tastes better here.

Soon – by Labor Day – the Coffee Bar will convert to a Craft Beer and Natural Wine Bar at night with a rotating selection of beer and wines, serving house-made charcuterie and trout dip. Stay tuned for details.

For more informaion, visit outpostinnhighlands.com.
by Marlene Osteen | photos by Susan Renfro