On Nov. 21, the University of Colorado issued Folsom Street Coffee, located in the Porter Biosciences building on campus, a 30-day lease cancellation notice. Nearly a month later, heading into one of the busiest times of the year, the café is preparing its last orders.
The 30-day notice is set to expire Dec. 21, but the café will serve its last rounds of coffee on Friday.
“We’ll be closed at the end of tomorrow and starting the teardown process starting next week,” Ian Short, the store’s manager, said.
Short contacted university officials in the hopes of negotiating a way to stay on campus.
“We’ve received feedback from customers who have said they would prefer a new vendor with more expansive food offerings,” CU spokesperson Ryan Huff said.
Short said he was shocked by the responses, the shop having provided service to students and faculty for more than six years. He said he wishes the university would have voiced their concerns earlier.
“It really is confusing for me to hear and read that our customers were unhappy with what we have to offer,” Short said. “The community in our shop is close, and aside from suggestions from time-to-time about the menu, we have never received actual criticism from what we have to offer.”
Students who frequent Folsom Street Coffee shared Short’s sentiment.
“I don’t really get it,” said Craig White, a graduate student studying political science. “Why close it to just put in another coffee spot?”
The café’s menu consists of bagels, sandwiches, pastries and burritos, in addition to the seasonal, niche coffee menu.
“We really weren’t under the impression people wanted food from us. We are a niche coffee café that takes pride in a more unique coffee selection,” Short said. “It’s just something myself and the rest of the staff were unaware of that apparently needed attention.”
Huff said the university appreciates the service Folsom Street Coffee has provided, but that another local vendor is already on deck to fill the space some time during the spring semester.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Joe Parris at joseph.parris@colorado.edu.
