In downtown Acworth, an old building is finding new purpose.
By Denise K. James
As of now, a first-time visitor to downtown Acworth might not notice 4648 South Main Street, or what locals call the old Acworth Cycle building. Though it’s located across from the Red Top Brewhouse and close to other popular spots, the historic structure is easy to miss with its mostly empty parking lot and worn facade. A hand-drawn sign hangs on the front. “Acworth Cycles,” it reads. “ATC and Small Engines. Parts, Sales, Service. Pick-up and Delivery.” There’s also a disconnected phone number.
But all of that is getting ready to change.
When locals Melissa Hegert and CJ Fidurski, better known as “Durski,” developed interest in the building, it wasn’t just old — it was an eyesore. “Motorcycle Mike” Mlaska, the former owner of Acworth Cycle, had passed away in 2023, leaving his business interior and exterior cluttered with junk and frozen in time.
It was the perfect project for Hegert and Durski. They’d recently shut down their business, the Museum of Lamps and Plants, after a storm flooded them out. They needed more creative space, not only for the former shop’s custom-built lamps but for Durski’s latest passion: customizing go-carts. “I had seven vehicles at our house at one point, and Melissa came to me and said, ‘We look like an auto dealership,’” Durski says, laughing. “It was piling up.”
Both Hegert and Durski hail from other states — California and Florida, respectively — but have come to love life in Cobb County. By the time they decided to open the Museum of Lamps and Plants, they’d fallen in love with the Acworth’s quirky charm and decided to live downtown. “Acworth is this weird little town, and I love it,” Hegert says. “I walk everywhere here. It’s a mixture of different kinds of people.”
It’s this sort of community spirit that the couple is employing to help revive the old building. One day in early 2025, the door to the former cycle shop was propped open, and, being naturally curious, Durski poked his head inside. He immediately saw the potential. First, the couple phoned city officials to ask if they could tidy up the property. They learned that Mlaska’s daughters owned the building and were overwhelmed by the task at hand. “They called us crying,” Hegert recalls. “They couldn’t believe we weren’t going to charge them for cleaning out the building!”
Though Mlaska’s daughters initially planned to sell to other buyers, they were touched by Hegert’s and Durski’s selflessness and chose to work with them instead. The couple closed on the building in late July of this year with the vision of opening a community-centered space called D&B Makers Studio. The building needs extensive work before their dream is realized. Once the home of Lemon Motor Company, an automobile dealership that also sold Gulf gasoline in the mid-twentieth century, it has a storied history. Hegert and Durski say the building is worth saving, but it must be cleaned out.
“It needs to be gutted,” Hegert admits. “The city does offer grants for the facade, so we’re applying for that. The first step is to get the outside looking nice.”
Through their nonprofit, also known as D&B Makers Studio, the couple has begun fundraising with community events, including a comedy night and an evening of line dancing with their friendly and supportive neighbors. “Rob, who owns Red Top Brewhouse, has been awesome,” Durski says. “We are so grateful to him for his help.”
Once open, D&B will focus on “artsy entrepreneurs,” whether visitors want to record a podcast, craft a piece of furniture out of wood, create a work of art, or customize a golf cart. Durski also will build his new brand, King Kustom, inside the space and continue customizing vehicles, such as the scooter he merged with a motorcycle.
“It’s not fast, but it looks cool, and you can ride it without a motorcycle license,” he explains. “Realistically, as a brand, you want to start a trend, and that’s what I want to do.”
“I have eight sewing machines from the 1960s and 1970s that were donated to us by a man who fixes them,” Hegert adds. “We are open to hosting all kinds of makers. We just want people from the community to come together.”
