A new owner for Something Special

Several times over the years, I have written about the pleasure of taking tea at Something Special, the antebellum home and gardens here in Newnan. I recently received word from owner Mike Meyer that he was retiring and the business had been sold and will now be known as "Something Special at Lillian Gardens."

A well-respected local businessman, Mike was the second owner of Something Special I had the pleasure of knowing. I've wished him well even as I look forward to enjoying new experiences at Lillian Gardens at Something Special. If you're local, you may want to do as I did and follow their Facebook page here.

And here's the press release I received from Mike:

The name Something Special has a 36 year history in this community.  It was first opened in 1980 by Miss Virginia Davis and her daughter Martha Sue McCain as a Tea Room.  The tea room catered to the downtown lunch crowd as well as bridal and baby showers.  They retired after 14 years in the restaurant business and ended the first chapter of Something Special history.

I purchased the beautiful 1859 Antebellum home in 1996 and after extensive renovations, re-opened it as Something Special Events in 1997.  It has been a pleasure and honor for me to be part of this wonderful Newnan community and host special events for families and corporations. Over the 19 years, I have helped families create memories and watched them grow.   I am fortunate the facility is located in the heart of the Newnan’s historic district which gave me the opportunity to belong to the Greenville Lagrange Neighborhood Association.  I enjoyed being part of the Newnan Coweta Chamber of Commerce, Carnegie Library Association, and Coweta Master Gardeners. I cherish the support this amazing community provided me over the years.

The journey of life brings us through many different phases.  In addition to running the event facility, I was the primary caregiver through my mother’s 9 year illness.  I married 3 years ago and share my time between the facility and our Atlanta home.  With all these life changes, I decided it was time to retire from the event business and close my chapter in the history of Something Special. I have close friends and family in the community and will be spending much of my time at our Lake House in nearby Whitesburg.

I am passing the Something Special torch to a beautiful young lady who is full of energy and new ideas to start the next chapter and continue creating memories for families.  Ashley Bercich comes to us from Douglasville, Georgia.  She is married with two children and has had a career in finance for the past nine years.  She has always had a passion for helping friends and families with weddings and special events and is very excited to become part of this community.

The name will change to Something Special at Lillian Gardens and the facility will undertake renovations and a fresh coat of paint.  I am partnering with her until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition and the existing catering department, event coordinators, and office staff will continue to bring excellence to the facility.

Please watch for the grand re-opening of Something Special at Lillian Gardens in early Fall!