A Florida car dealership surveyed people about their favorite autumn stops in Georgia, and the results skip right past Starbucks.
🍂 Why It Matters: The poll points to a preference for local spots over chains when Georgians chase that seasonal feeling — doughnuts in Cumming, coffee in Savannah, apples in the mountains.
🗺️ What Topped the List: Three independent businesses came out ahead in the survey commissioned by Gunther Volkswagen Delray Beach.
Dutch Monkey Doughnuts in Cumming took first place. The shop draws lines once fall arrives, counters stacked with cinnamon-glazed rounds that locals treat like a small seasonal ritual.
Perc Coffee in Savannah landed second. The café leans into spiced drinks and a cozy interior that makes autumn feel present even when Savannah’s weather hasn’t quite caught up.
Hillcrest Orchards in Ellijay claimed third. The mountain orchard becomes a full fall scene — apple picking, hayrides, families moving slowly through rows of trees as the hills shift color.
🚗 The Bigger Context: The survey was part of a nationwide effort to map where people stop for what the dealership calls a “fall fix” — the coffee shops, bakeries, and orchards that become seasonal destinations.
📊 The Sources:
Survey data from Gunther Volkswagen Delray Beach
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
