Kern Street Coffee Shop

Kern_Coffee_Bike_Redo
Originally uploaded by paldusty

Several years ago Kern Street Coffee shop opened downtown (this bike is parked in front of) and at that time it was taking a huge risk, but they did it. The City was going through another one of it's "We really want to revitalize downtown, so COME on down, open up a business and we are behind you". Well they hung in there through thick and (mostly) thin. It was a great little coffee shop with many regulars and all that stuff that it takes to survive.

After several years they had to close, which really bummed me out, not only cause I liked to go there when I was downtown, but because the city (in my opinion) dropped the ball on the "Come on down, we are behind you" part. The city is in another "We really want to revitalize downtown" mode again and I hope that it works, but as usual the powers that be don't want to deal with the main issue, which until they do, the same results could be the norm.

It's just too bad that this little piece of downtown won't be there if the city really does mean what it says and gives small businesses some incentives to come and play.

I will be taking a photo walk downtown in the next week or so and try to capture the latest versions of these little and not so little businesses in this go round.