In the dictionary, panacea means “a cure-all” or “a remedy for healing what ails you.” Starting this week, Panacea will also be synonymous with good times, good food and good coffee in the historic Frog Level district of Waynesville.

Owners Brian Pierce and Jane Shearer have been hard at work over the past nine months renovating the old warehouse building along Commerce Street and turning the once vacant, dilapidated building into a stylish coffeehouse that will be open for breakfast, lunch and evening.

Spacious enough to seat 75 comfortably (about 4,000 square feet) and loaded with rustic features including rugged brick walls, a tall wood-paneled ceiling and a lovely wooden deck out back overlooking Richland Creek, Panacea appears destined to become one of Waynesville’s coziest spots for getting a Cup o’ Joe.

When Pierce’s family bought the building a year ago with plans for a pottery studio (Pierce Pottery is soon to open next to Panacea), Brian and Jane came by one day and found a great space full of possibilities.

“We walked into this building and said, ‘Oh my gosh! This has so much potential,’” Shearer said.

Neither of the two had ever owned their own business, but they decided it was time to make the big jump, and what started out as an eyesore (beer bottles and trash littered the floors) has become a bright spot in a newly revitalized part of town. It’s taken a lot of long days sanding, painting, sawing, building and hauling, but the clean-up is paying off.

Last month, the couple received word that the Town of Waynesville had approved the building as a local historic landmark and the application has been submitted for National Historic Register status.

The building, which was once widely known as Boyd Wholesale Grocery, was built back in 1918. Trains and trucks would load and unload in front of cargo doors which are still in place. The couple kept as much of the original design of the building, using bricks from the building to fill a hole in the roasting area up front and making some of the tables with old pipes. Windows and wood framing came from old houses. Painting over the concrete floor was one of the most labor-intensive jobs, according to Jane. The area out back had old mattresses, trash and beer bottles, but it’s all been cleared away.

Pierce plans to be the in-house roastmaster, presiding over an international supply of the finest coffee beans in the world — 18 types so far, including beans from Brazil, Sumatra, Kenya, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Ethiopia. Coffee will be available for sale by the half pound or pound. There will be decaf and flavored coffees, mixes and blends, organic and fair trade coffees, and a wide selection of assorted drinks — everything from smoothies and iced drinks to teas, fruit drinks and soda.

For breakfast, Panacea will be serve Belgian waffles, bagels, pastries, and croissants. It will be a few more weeks before the coffeehouse begins serving lunches, but the menu will eventually include cold sandwiches, grilled sandwiches (known as panini), salads and (by fall) soups. Throughout the day, a full array of specialty desserts will also be available for the serious sweet-tooth. Pies, cakes, muffins and pastries.

Hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to midnight Fridays, 8 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

And yes, Panacea has already had plenty of requests from local bands, musicians and performers. The couple is thrilled to invite any local performers who want to showcase their talents, but it’s too early to announce open mic nights or regular entertainment. The space is certainly accommodating with a raised platform stage in the back and classy lighting to give just the right ambiance, so it’s just a matter of time before the good times roll.

The coffeehouse has truly been a dream come true for Pierce who said he first fell in love with java cafés back when he was 17 years old at his first coffeehouse job at Cups in Jackson, Miss. Since then, he’s worked just about every job in a coffeehouse on his way up to barista (the official title of a professional espresso brewer) and roastmaster (master of roasting coffee beans).

In addition to sharing all kinds of lovely treats and drinks, Pierce and Shearer hope to educate the customers who might feel a little confused or uncertain about the various coffee drinks and coffeehouse cuisine. Coffeehouses with all their jargon and attitude can often turn people away, but the Panacea philosophy is more about welcoming people in for a relaxing time. A mega-menu board on the right of the main counter (where the cargo door used to be) will list the items with attention to the inquiring customer.

“We want people to come in an feel comfortable,” Brian said.

Being open after regular downtown hours will be just one of the draws for Panacea, and with the kind of atmosphere that emphasizes coffee and food rather than gift shop accessories, Jane and Brian are hoping to create their own niche within the downtown business community.

Who says there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues? Panacea opens this week. Check it out.