Coffee Continued - One Place Closes, One Will Open

Yesterday I was writing about coffee, the #starbout, and how competitors were taking advantage of Starbucks' temporary closure. But apparently the #starbout came too late for one La Verne establishment that I would visit on occasion. Here's the story:

Rico Coffee, located for nearly four years in the Foothill Boulevard shopping center, was open for the last day Feb. 13, said Ricardo Espinosa, co-owner.

"They put a Starbucks in the Target, and a Starbucks opened across the street from us," said Espinosa, a Rancho Cucamonga resident. "And eventually they choked us."

Now I'm sure that the Coffee Klatches of the world will argue that you CAN compete with Starbucks, and that Rico Coffee was just putting out an inferior product. And while I'll grant that Coffee Klatch was a bit more of a coffee fanatic, I never had any quibble with Rico Coffee. Sad to see them go.

But while the coffee shop in La Verne is closing, there's news of another coffee shop opening...in Iraq. Red Stick Rant links to this press release:

For_Immediate_Release:

United States of America (Press Release) February 20, 2008 -- Help Lacombe resident, Beverly Dupuy, along with Soldiers' Angels, start a cafe' for her son SPC Erik Dupuy's 4th ID Battalion of 1,000, out of Ft. Carson, who are currently serving in Iraq.

Items being collected: donations payable to Soldiers' Angels, coffee, tea, specialty coffee machines, tea brewing items, aluminum mugs, board games, DVDs, snacks for a cafe', signs and decorations to make this cafe' complete.

Place: Louisiana Grill Mandeville, Louisiana
Date: Friday March 7th, 2008
Time: 4:00-8:00

For more information:

http://soldiersangelsla.org gretaperry@gmail.com (985)807-4805

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