9 Responses to “Shockoe Poets say adios to Shockoe Espresso”

1. posted by slipper at August 4, 2008 10:57 am :
   

   Is it just me or do they seem to be trying to kill that coffee shop the way they keep reducing the hours and services?

   What is the deal there? Are they just copying the neighbors and only catering to the mid-day crowd?

2. posted by shann palmer at August 4, 2008 7:00 pm :
   

   It may be so- there was hardly ever anyone in there but us on Sundays.

   It looks like Globehopper Coffee is offering a spot- we’re going to meet Sunday at Shockoe Espresso, then move down to 2100 East Main and see if it’s a good fit!

   The buzz is awesome!
   http://www.globehoppercoffee.com/

   shann (a cofounder of the reading)

3. posted by River District News » GlobeHopper: Shockoe Poets, game night, 6 months already! - Richmond, Virginia at August 7, 2008 9:26 am :
   

   [...] will celebrate their first 180 days or so on August 23rd, stay tuned for more details…Booted from Shockoe Espresso, The Shockoe Poets have moved their long-running open mic to the new coffeeshop @ Main & 21st. [...]

4. posted by starcitybetty at August 26, 2008 11:07 pm :
   

   nothing to do with the theater, actually, more to do with the actual mountain, as the stores are all in roanoke, virginia.

   A lot of coffee shops, book stores, venues in general that eek out a living on paying customers alone aren’t very keen on a bunch of poets with a microphone driving off paying customers but not spending money themselves. When that’s the case, they’re going to be asked to relocate.

   Coffee shops aren’t libraries, they’re businesses, and they’re businesses that are based on a luxury economy, and in case no one else had noticed, this country is facing what no one else wants to call a recession.

   So before you give small business owners crap about “booting” non paying customers from their premises, maybe you ought to stop and think about it for a hot second, they’re the ones paying the rent, the bpol taxes, and the overhead for a space intended to make capitol, and you’re sitting in the corner driving off the people paying for the things that make that possible.

5. posted by lb at September 3, 2008 12:17 am :
   

   I have been coming to this place for so many years that I forget. But today I have decided not to support this local coffee shop any longer. The coffee quality has slowly deteriorated. All my coworkers have slowly stopped going to this place. The rude service that goes along with the coffee is definitely not worth it. I try very hard to support the local coffee shops but the constant display of rudeness by some of the staff towards the regulars makes it kinda hard. Globehopper and captain Buzzy’s on the other hand are both great places.

6. posted by slipper at September 3, 2008 3:50 pm :
   

   I have never noticed the baristas being anything other than friendly, but I will second lb on the poor quality of the brewed coffee. The espresso seems OK, but would it kill them to actually have a genuine dark roast?

   Also, does anyone else have a problem with the hours? Maybe, if they used that liquor license they have they could justify staying open later.

7. posted by someone. at September 14, 2008 5:58 pm :
   

   Okay our hours are the way they are for a reason. When we were open until 11, we had no buisness after 9. When we were open til 9, we had no buisness after 6. It is not the barista’s fault that the owner does not want to pay us while we have no paying customers. By the way, we do not have a liquor license any longer.

   Also I know that I, for one, have never been rude to any customers unless they were overly rude to myself. I will not have patience for someone who refuses to get off their cellphone to place a quick order.

   Another thing, about the poets. We’ve had nothing but years of complaints of paying weekend customers about the poetry. I also feel that I should not get a dirty look every time I grind coffee during a poem. It is a coffee shop after all, not a showcase.

   So I find the comments being left about Shockoe Espresso very unfair. Our manager is trying so hard to turn the place around after our sad excuse for our ex-manager. I love our customers, but I guess the feeling is not mutual.

8. posted by shannpalmer at September 15, 2008 9:18 am :
   

   Wow- occasionally even poets buy food- in fact we ALWAYS did, and coffee and I, for one, tipped 100% almost all of the time!

   There were usually few customers on Sunday and those that came in took their drinks outside most of the time.

   Oh well- we’re at art 6 for now- 6 east braod- a great location and welcoming, but it’s kinda sad we can no longer get food and drinks, or have people wander in occasionally who found a home with poetry.

9. posted by slipper at September 15, 2008 11:40 am :
   

   Shockoe Espresso does a better job than most with providing a good coffee house vibe. I prefer it to all the places in Carytown or around VCU, I just want stronger coffeee, because I like coffee that borders on mud.

   And the new menu looks great. Not taking our business anywhere else don’t worry.

   Personally I just want to see later hours. Based on “someone”’s comments (there is no way to reference that commenter’s name without sounding passive aggressive) there seems to be a dead time 2-3 hours before closing no matter what. So stay open later, and keep those three dead hours at bay for as long as possible.

   Maybe you can get one of the business on Cary street proper to put a sign board out front to draw people in off the main drag. There seem to be a lot of conventioneers wandering the street between 6 and 11 towards the end of the week. They can’t all be getting drunk…

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