(www.sass-pants.com) — On Wednesday, I went to my favorite local coffee shop to take advantage of their free wi-fi (and delicious BLTs) because my internet had been knocked out by an ice storm. Imagine my dismay when I found that they were closed. Forever. Like, the store was totally empty and there was a sign on the door saying that due to hard economic times, they had to close their doors after seven years and thanks for all the memories.
This is a coffee shop that managed to thrive despite the fact that a Starbucks had opened in the same parking lot three years earlier. But apparently not anymore, because, well they’re gone.
When the division my husband worked for closed and he lost his job, I knew it had to do with the economy, but it didn’t really strike me. When business slowed overall but my resume work skyrocketed, I knew it had to do with the economy, but it didn’t really strike me. But when my favorite coffee shop closed, I was positively dumbfounded. I sat out front in the parking lot for about five minutes, utterly stunned, before driving to Panera, the only other place I could think of nearby with free wi-fi.
When I look back on it, I shouldn’t be that shocked that the place closed. I was often the only one there, despite their shockingly low prices. But I just got the feeling that that was business as usual for them, so I didn’t give it much thought. Until they were gone.
I regret not visiting more frequently while I had the chance, not telling more people about my “best-kept secret.” Would it have made a difference? When I look around Fredericksburg at the growing numbers of empty storefronts, I suspect the answer is no. But I wonder.
Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King
(image)
I think sometimes it is the little things that make us take notice or, alternatively, push us over the edge.
That’s a shame about the coffee shop. My favorite one, which was a local chain to the Philly area was bought out by another company that is slowly trying to destroy it. They also got rid of all the original staff – one of the reason it was my favorite is that the employees were so awesome. And now I don’t know how to find them. I won’t go there anymore but I don’t want to go to the Starbucks chains – maybe I’ll just start saving up the coffee money.
Kim Woodbridge’s last blog post..How to Style a Sticky Post in WordPress 2.7