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Tallahassee, Fla. (WCV) – After three years in business, a local coffee shop in Railroad Square is closing.
Supporters of Square Mug Cafe are going around fighting to keep the business open.
If Square Mug is to close, it will be the third in the area, following All Saints Cafe, which has closed in the last three months.
Customer Mori Memento said: “Please do not remove from the square mug. “This is a special place.”
Memento has been coming to the coffee shop every day for the past month.
She is one of about half a dozen regulars who use the store’s food pantry.
She was devastated when she heard the store was closing.
“He broke my heart,” Memento said.
For customers, Cafe Mug Cafe is a safe space — a judgment-free zone where everyone is welcome, whether they can afford coffee or not.
The regulars say they love the specialty lattes and outdoor seating.
“It’s a shame there isn’t a place like this,” said customer Talia Smith.
Smith is saddened to see so many small businesses close.
“I’m hearing all these local places, they’re going under,” she said.
Square Mug owner Donna Elliott says inflation, rising baristas’ wages and the summer slowdown have hurt the shop’s finances.
“The sales we got this summer were to keep my baristas and stock up on what little we could,” she said.
Elliott said she has resisted price increases for years, even lowering prices during the pandemic.
“As a consumer myself, I know how difficult it is to pay for things,” she said. So I tried to stay reasonable and unfortunately this is where we are now. “
But Elliott said there’s been an outpouring of support from friends and customers to keep Square Mug alive, with people making donations and even holding a silent art auction as a fundraiser.
“All the people I’ve taken care of in the last three years come back to take care of me,” Elliott said.
Elliott Square said Mugg has until Oct. 7 to hold the lease or face eviction.
She’s confident they can make that payment to stay open.
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