VIRUS BREWS CHANGES AT COFFEE SHOPS
COVID-19, changing rules and clueless customers challenge coffee shops
Coffee shops are usually abuzz with students and others looking to network. But getting a good cuppa joe has gotten much more complicated as the coronavirus pandemic and government regulations have kept owners and their customers guessing.
Many Pittsburgh coffee shops reopened indoor spaces when the green phase of COVID-19 restrictions began June 5. Then an order from the Allegheny County Health Department on July 2 closed all restaurants, but it wasn’t clear if that included coffee shops. Another order was issued July 8 that permitted outdoor dining but again coffee shops were not mentioned. Last week, Allegheny County spokesperson Amie Downs clarified things: “A coffee shop is a permitted food facility and subject to this order. Beverages are considered food.”
Many coffee shops in the city have outdoor tables, but some are sticking to takeout only and a few, especially ones who rely on Downtown office workers, have remained closed. To find out the status of your favorite Pittsburgh coffee place, check out an interactive map at www.post-gazette.com.
At Jitters Cafe in Shadyside, business actually increased in the early days of the pandemic, when its competitors were closed.
“Once people realized we were open and no other coffee shop was open, we became decently busy,” said barista Julian Junaidi.
The customer count didn’t change as other shops reopened, he said, but people seemed to spend more.
“It’s kind of like a weird rollercoaster that we’ve been through,” Mr. Junaidi said.
Braden Walter Jr., owner of Redhawk Coffee, said COVID-19 chilled what started as a hot year for coffee shops.
“Before all of this happened, business was really fantastic. Our Downtown location was doing way better than I thought it was going to and Oakland was really great,” he said.
That changed when universities and offices closed and students and Downtown office workers disappeared. Mr. Walter said he was in the Downtown store for a few days in March and hardly a single person stopped by. He has closed the Downtown location for now.
“We expect a drop-off when students leave for the summer in Oakland, but this has just been really brutal,” he said.
Some shops are coping by selling more bagged coffee.
“Definitely much more retail sales,” said Cortney Ivanov, owner of Big Dog Coffee on the South Side. “I think folks were treating themselves, so they were looking for a more single-origin coffee.”
The Coffee Tree Roasters in Shadyside started delivering bagged coffee and other products in response to more online orders. Owner Jean Swoope proudly said she didn’t lay off anyone because of the new coronavirus.
“We’re open for our employees just as much as our customers. We didn’t want to send anybody into a world of unemployment,” she said.
At La Prima Espresso, a drop in retail business at its Downtown and Strip District locations was partly offset by its wholesale business. But that also suffered when restaurants closed.
“We think that by the end of the year, our gross income will be cut in half,” said owner Sam Patti.
Caffè d’Amore in Lawrenceville expanded beyond coffee and pastries to sell eggs, toilet paper, masks and other staples. They partnered with a local farm to sell produce.
“A lot of our customers have told us that they’re feeling more comfortable getting their eggs at our shop where it’s less busy,” said owner Sarah Walsh.
Adda Coffee & Tea House closed its locations in Shadyside and North Side until June. Business is starting to return but it’s not what it used to be, said community manager Nicolette Kalafatis.
Local chain Crazy Mocha operated 24 locations prepandemic. Now all but five are closed — North Side, Sewickley and three hospital locations that were kept open because hospital officials and employees requested it. In those five stores, owner Ed Wethli estimated sales are 50-60% of what they used to be. A lot of Crazy Mocha’s shuttered stores are near Downtown office buildings.
“We don’t know when we’re going to open those. We’re going to play it by ear. We’re waiting to hear what’s happening with the offices themselves,” Mr. Wethli said.
Coffee to go
Although coffee shops are currently allowed to seat customers outdoors, some remain open for takeout only. La Prima Espresso has set up an ordering system so customers don’t linger inside its Downtown and Strip District locations. But it has outdoor tables where people can meet and enjoy a cup.
“We’ll do that as long as we can,” said Mr. Patti. “I think that’s just better for the customers. Fortunately, the time [of] year and the weather has cooperated with that.”
At Caffè d’Amore in Lawrenceville, Ms. Walsh is holding off on investing in more outdoor seating until she sees a substantial reduction in COVID-19 cases. All shops visited for this story have eliminated indoor seating since the July 2 order from the county health department. At Jitters Cafe in Shadyside, Mr. Junaidi is in no hurry to return to indoor drinking and networking, even if it is allowed in coming weeks.
“As with any coffee shop, it’s a place for students to study,” he said. “We’re playing it day by day, but I don’t really think we’re going to be doing a lot of inside seating.”
Others are hoping to return to protocols for indoor dining set up during the green phase reopening. The Coffee Tree in Shadyside allows customers to sit down for a maximum of 30 minutes at its outdoor tables and had the same rule indoors. Everyday Cafe’s large dining area in Homewood can accommodate up to 35 people inside. They recently added outdoor tables. Creative Coffee & Supply spaced out its tables to accommodate people working Downtown.
“I think a lot of people want a little bit of an escape from their work environment,” said Creative Coffee owner Carmen Swasey.
Masks, social distancing
Each coffee shop visited requires everyone to wear masks. But what do they do if customers don’t comply?
La Prima Espresso has plexiglass between staff and customers at its shops in Downtown and the Strip District, so it has generally not made an issue about customers without masks.
“We do have a sign that says ‘No mask, no service,’ but business is hard enough,” Mr. Patti said.
Other coffee shops have turned away unmasked customers. Jitters Cafe in Shadyside does not serve people without masks because they have staff members who are immunocompromised, said Mr. Junaidi, a barista.
“Sometimes people will give attitude and push on about how masks are useless and such,” he said. “Ninety percent of the time, they end up putting on the mask anyway.”
Caffè d’Amore in Lawrenceville requires masks to enter the store but also offers curbside pickup or delivery. Ms. Walsh, the owner, said she was “taken aback” when she asked a woman to put her mask on and the woman responded, “The last time I was here, the barista was nice.”
Most customers obey the mask requirement, she and other shop owners said. Rock ’n’ Joe Coffee in Downtown provides masks to customers who don’t have one, but local owner Chris Potenza said that’s a rare occurrence.
At Big Dog Coffee on the South Side, Ms. Ivanov said some customers run out to their cars to grab masks once they see everyone else is wearing one. To maintain social distance, Big Dog baristas place drinks on the counter for customers to pick up. It’s been a hard adjustment for the Ivanovs, who decided not to offer delivery because they value face-to-face interaction with customers.
“It’s fun to take a drink to somebody at their table and say ‘Hi,’” Ms. Ivanov said. “We need to see people. That’s who we are. Takeout wasn’t an option for us.”
Some shop owners have marked their floors to denote where customers should stand while in line.
“Customers feeling safe in the space is crucial to being able to make the right decisions for themselves with their food, drink or grocery purchase,” said Ms. Walsh, of Caffe d’ Amore. “We feel it’s the best way to honor our neighbors.”
The transition from ceramic coffee cups to disposable paper or foam has been a hard one at the Downtown and Strip District locations of La Prima Espresso, especially for its namesake drink.
“A lot of it has to do with the way a drink falls and bubbles, and it’s probably easier for it to bubble on glass than paper,” said Mr. Patti, the owner. “When you pour coffee into styrofoam, you see that little skim of oil on the top. The heat from the coffee extracts that.”
Keith Kaboly, owner of 61C Cafe in Squirrel Hill, says hearing customers’ orders is difficult with masks and the new acrylic shield hanging over the counter. Despite a sign asking patrons to “speak up,” he still frequently has to ask people to repeat their orders.
“It’s so hard to hear people and you can’t see lips. We all read lips to some extent,” he said. “They give it one try and then pull the mask down.”
Mr. Kaboly said one customer tried to put his unmasked face under the acrylic to order.
Campus coffee
Pittsburgh’s colleges and universities are still formulating plans for virtual classes and on-campus instruction this fall. Nearby coffee shops are wondering how many students will come back.
Jitters Cafe and 61C Cafe in Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, respectively, depend on Chatham University students and faculty. Redhawk’s Oakland location is a popular destination for University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University students. Crazy Mocha’s various neighborhood locations also rely on student patronage. Will they be able to study and mingle in coffee shops this fall?
“We don’t have a date in the foreseeable future that we’re going to be letting people back in the store,” said Ms. Kalafatis of Adda Coffee & Tea House in Shadyside and the North Side, a location that serves students from Community College of Allegheny County.
Big Dog Coffee on the South Side currently closes at 5 p.m. each day, but the Ivanovs are considering moving that back to 9 p.m. once classes restart. Ms. Ivanov said she may encourage students to study in the morning instead of the evening.
Coffee shop owners are hoping for better days. Mr. Kaboly’s customers at 61B Cafe in Regent Square have rallied to support the business, he said. It’s currently outperforming its counterpart, 61C Cafe in Squirrel Hill.
Kiya Heard, assistant manager of Everyday Cafe in Homewood, said she’s always excited for the fall, and this year is no different.
“We get to bring out specialty lattes and flavors you can only get once a year,” she said.