Mark Fichter remembers the day he tried to kill himself.

Just as vivid, he said, is his recollection of using heroin before brushing his teeth in the mornings and drinking whole bottles of cough syrup when money was tight -- just to get a buzz.

Now, Fichter and two other recovering drug addicts are helping one another stay clean. They've opened a coffeehouse in downtown Richmond and hope they can encourage locals to get their buzz from caffeine instead of drugs or alcohol.

Common Groundz has been open since April. The owners say the emphasis is on friendly service, local music, coffee and food. But for some people who have struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, the coffeehouse is also a sanctuary. It stays open late, has a supportive staff and doesn't serve alcohol.

The owners said they were willing to discuss their past demons in hopes that others can learn from their mistakes.

"We're not using that as a selling point at all," co-owner Brandon Matey said. "We're just letting people know."

Co-owner Scott King said, "People have come in here on their worst days and confessed that they wanted to use." He said the three owners are able to refer to their own life experiences in giving advice.

Fichter, King and Matey all had restaurant experience. More than a year ago, they began discussing opening a club. King said they stumbled across a find: an abandoned uniform clothing shop -- and above it an apartment for rent.

In return for 20 percent of their profits, an investor gave them enough money to buy the building and renovate it into a coffeehouse. And they moved into the apartment, where they still live.

The venture includes risks beyond the financial, said Dr. Michael Weaver, assistant profes sor of internal medicine at VCU.

Owning a restaurant can be a very stressful endeavor, Weaver said, and stress is one of the major forces that drives people to drugs. On the other hand, he said, the owners' supportive relationship could be a step toward full recovery.

"There will be naysayers that say this isn't going to work," Weaver said. "I'd say: take it day by day. . . . Don't let the stress get to them."

At 734 W. Broad St., Common Groundz is near Virginia Commonwealth University's Monroe Park Campus, and most of the shop's customers are students.

The coffeehouse opens at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. on Saturday, and noon on Sunday. It closes at 11 p.m. on weeknights. But Friday through Sunday, it stays open well into the early morning hours -- literally as late as customers want.

The coffeehouse sells a variety of quick eats, coffee, smoothies and ice cream. The wireless Internet access is popular among students, as are open-mike nights on Tuesdays and frequent concerts by area musicians.

Jessica Law of Virginia Beach traveled to Common Groundz for a concert and described the coffeehouse as upbeat and contemporary. She has been back twice.

"They've got me addicted to that darn coconut latté," Law said with a laugh. "They're passing up their addiction and getting strange girls from Virginia Beach addicted to their coffee."

Of the three owners, Fichter is the most recent to ditch his drug addiction. He said he has been clean for about five months.

He had become so overwhelmed by his addiction, he said, that he once attempted suicide by taking a month's supply of medicine prescribed to curb his cravings.

Fichter said he was surprised to wake up the next morning. Soon after, he said, he vowed to quit drugs for good and locked himself in his room, where he fought three days of severe withdrawal.

"As soon as I got better, it was almost like a moment of clarity," the 29-year-old said. "I wake up every day and tell myself, 'Mark, I'm not going to use it today.'"

King, 36, said he has a broad frame of reference when it comes to using drugs and knows how they can take over a person's life.

"If you can name it, I've done it," he said. "From acid to Xanax."

King said he has been clean for more than two years and now gives local speeches to discourage drug use.

Matey said he began using drugs as a teen. He said that when he was 17 -- and high -- he accidentally ran in front of a moving vehicle.

He said the accident left him with a fractured skull and other broken bones, and temporary loss of his ability to taste and smell -- and a $70,000 personal-injury award. He collected the money when he turned 18, he said, and used it for more drugs.

His obsession stretched over a decade, he said, and robbed him of his emotions.

"Someone would die, and I couldn't even cry anymore," Matey said. "I almost wanted to die in some kind of weird way. It was better than the slow death."

Now 29, Matey said he has been clean for nearly two years.

He said he doesn't know how long the coffeehouse business will last. But in the meantime, having his life back and "just helping people along . . . it's an awesome thing."