Sad news here

[grasswire]

The economy has taken down another family business. My family member's coffeehouse, in business for a decade and thriving most of that time, has taken a turn for the worse in the last several months. Business has fallen like a rock. Despite a loyal customer base who love the place, it's the end.

Today seven employees were let go and the store was closed. Tomorrow there will be free coffee for regular customers to say goodbye.

Remember when you read financial advice telling you to give up your coffee drinks that there are flesh and blood families who fall, too.

The owner of the store worked his heart out, baking his scones and cookies at 4 a.m. every day without a stinking day off for the last 18 months. Now he has no income and is tens of thousands of dollars in debt. And two small children to care for.

It's been a tearful day. No more pie baking.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. .....

:hug:

Many of us have been with you through your whole time of involvement.

[grasswire]

4. well, at least I didn't lose a paying job

I was doing it for the fun of it and to help the business.

:-)

[AwakeAtLast]

2. Sorry to hear that

A local restaurant closed up here, too. Abruptly. They had expanded recently and I'm guessing business didn't make up for the cost.

I always tried to patronize the place when I could. They had good food. :(

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. That just sucks -

I loved reading about your pie adventures, even though baking isn't in my repertoire. But you so clearly love doing it, your enthusiasm was contagious, and I always ended up hungry after reading about what you'd been up to.

I am so sorry. For all of you. I hope something happens, something good, for everyone. And soon..........

[yellerpup]

5. That's terrible news.

So unfair. I feel for everyone involved and only wish for a miracle. :hug:

[The empressof all]

6. Oh how sad

Trying to keep a business going right now is awful.

[sandnsea]

7. Oh that's terrible

A lot of people here are having really hard times too. This is the worst 4th weekend I've ever seen, I don't care what the reports say. I've had clients who have never had a problem making payments have to split them up. I don't think it's getting any better. Everybody was living on credit and it will take a while for either wages to go up or prices to work their way down. I hope your family member is young so that he can put this behind him and bounce back in a few years. It's a damn shame.

[housewolf]

8. Sad news, indeed!

I'd meant for a while to ask you where the restaurant was so that I could slip in and have a piece of one of your pies... now it's too late. It never occurred to me that a good community restuaurant like that would need to shut down.

I'm so sorry for you, the employees, for the community and most of all, for the family. What a sad tragedy. What a sad commentary on these times we're living through.

Hugs and more hugs

:hug:

[Vinca]

9. I'm sorry. I hope another door opens for him.

[Tesha]

10. You must all be heartbroken...

Damn!
... hope something comes through for you all, soon.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

11. I am so very very sorry. I have been a small business owner myself

and I KNOW the struggles and the heartaches. Life does go on, believe it or not. Best best wishes for all of your family. I'll miss the pie baking posts.

[mtnester]

12. Buy local people, whenever you can

I shop at a wonderful tea shop locally, she and her mother have taken NO salary except tips for nearly a year...they are determined to make it. They will ship:

http://simplici-teas.com/

They are very knowledgeable about tea, recipes with tea, customs, history, and one of them is actually taking Japanese lessons and has been for ages. I have, at times, stopped in with an ailment (like a headache, or feeling blue) and simply asked them to fix me up, on the sweet side, hot or cold, and they deliver for me. We buy all our tea from them, and I am partial at lunch time to their Boba milk teas. They are partnering with another local small business to sell sandwich wraps, etc, which is GREAT when local businesses partner up to survive. They also sell sweets and confections that another local business woman bakes and sells to them.

I stop every day if I can, sometimes buying bulk tea I don't really need right now, but know I will use eventually. The internet is a great thing for buying stuff, but If I can find it local, even if it is not QUITE what I was looking for, you better believe I will buy it. I have a local coffee shop that I visit in the AM as well...even if it is for a simply cold chai.

It is sad that your family member could not survive the tightening of the belts. Very very sad. As a small business owner as well, we have seen it, not as many new sales as there are service calls (at least people, for now, are still fixing things if they break...if it gets really worse, that will cease as well and we will be in trouble too)

Economical recovery is a long, long way off. A second stimulus package WILL make it Obama's economy (I agree, reluctantly, with Ed Schultz on this one, another package and he will own it, and it will be used against him, so it better be a bit better thought out and actually work or be applied..sigh, I need to stop right now)

I also, when all else fails try to use Etsy to get homemade crafts by regular folks.

Is all this a solution? No...but every little bit helps. I wish and hope and wait for the economy to turn around, but I suspect, and feel, it will still get worse before it gets better. 12% unemployment? Yep. I think parts of Michigan have nearly 20% or more. And sad thing, people are just now starting to go really, really hungry in this country....some starting to starve.

Rant off, for now, I am sorry if I was Debbie Downer, but anyone with a skosh of empathy can feel the pain of people now, it is palpable.

[hippywife]

13. I'm so sorry to hear that, sweetie.

We had a local fair trade coffee house go out a few years ago here, too. They served a small menu of sandwiches and had a case full of lovely baked goods. We even held many of our meetings and events there for our local peace and justice group to draw people in. Still didn't keep it going.

It's times like this when I wish we were all closer together than we are. I'm sure we'd all have rallied around in support and helped as best we could to keep the place open.

I wish them all the best. :hug: