I didn’t even notice the sign at first, I just pushed the heavy door open and walked up to the cash register to order. Jimmy Owens, the barrista who greets you with “Hihowaya?” pointed to the door, and there it was in black and white. Peet’s in Coolidge Corner would be closing its doors on January 25th. “What? Why?” I sputtered, but I kind of already knew. Just like the Chestnut Hill Peet’s that closed last year, the volume of business in Coolidge Corner Peet’s probably did not justify its operation anymore. Corporate metrics. But although our Peet’s is technically part of the national coffee chain, its quirky scruffiness makes it stand apart from the sheen of corporate America. “Are you going to be okay? Do you have a job?” I asked, not knowing what else to say. Jimmy told me his plans but I was already feeling a darkness descend on us both.
I went to one of my favorite tables to write, but like a lost child I just kept thinking, “Where will I go?” I’ve never felt this way before about a store or restaurant closing. Even when the Coolidge Corner McDonald’s closed, though I felt for the many seniors there who camped out for hours because of the inexpensive coffee, I didn’t feel as bad as I do about Peet’s. There are so many coffee shops in Brookline but to me, none have the quirky, warm, comfortable feel of Peet’s. CC Peet’s is like the nerdy shabby beloved absent-minded-professor of coffee shops, kind of Intelligentsia with a hippie edge.
Though there was talk of potential renovations at one time, I was always glad they didn’t go through with it. The tall windows that line its walls do let in huge puddles of water on their ledges — but also the best soft light. And once you wipe them off, those ledges provide extra seating. Often packed, strangers will share their tables with other lone customers. People dance nimbly around each other reaching for the cream and sugar, keeping an eye out for a newly-vacated table. Conversations in all sorts of languages and every emotion rise and fall, punctuated by the frequent screech of a chair being dragged to a table. The cacophony is just part of the ambience.
It is often noisy, but that doesn’t matter. It’s the friendliness of the place that keeps you coming back. Sometimes the staff comps people their drink or at least delivers it right to your table. They know our orders, they know if it’s “for here” or not. Anybody who is anybody in Brookline goes there to make deals, hatch ideas, write their magnum opus. Deals have been made, fortunes lost. Well, maybe not. But fourteen years ago, my writing group originated there, and it was at those square wooden tables that the three of us celebrated landing our book contracts. And there are so many others of us who have now lost their haven, just like with the McDonald’s. The elderly couple who always come in for an espresso; the young moms who must park their tractorlike strollers in the aisles and exert no control over their unruly juicy babies; the woman who keeps her dog loose in the entryway. Where will they all go now?
I posted the news in the Brookline Townwide Forum on Facebook and right away had sad emoji after sad emoji and empathic comments. Anger, too. We all looked for someone to blame. “People just camp out with their one coffee, and take up tables.” True. Guilty. Although I try to buy other items when I’m there for longer than an hour, especially since they started selling sandwiches. “It’s the students,” someone scoffed, presumably because they can’t really afford more than one coffee, nor do they have nice places to work. (When in doubt, blame Millennials.) “Can’t wait for another bank,” someone muttered. In fact, there is another place that serves Peet’s, the Capital One Cafe, nearly across the street from the real one, and it is housed in the bank. To me, it is not the same. Too quiet. No real atmosphere. They might as well be serving Starbucks.
Sure, there are likely a combination of factors leading to this sad closure. Brookline’s high rents? Tight parking? Lack of tables when customers need them, leading to the exodus to the Capital One? The sign on the door reminds us that there are still two Peet’s in the area: Harvard Square and in the Capital One in downtown Boston. It doesn’t even mention the Capital One right here, I noted smugly.
I wrote to Peet’s customer service to find out their side. They had this to say about it:
“Peet’s Coffee must keep pace with changing and evolving markets to enable healthy company growth. While it is not an easy decision, regional adjustments to our coffeebar presence is important for effectively managing our resources and continuing our U.S. expansion. That said, Peet’s is committed to the Boston region, having added new locations in recent years, including a coffeebar outside the city in Sudbury this past winter.”
There may be a silver lining, I’m calling it the Miracle of Newton Centre Peet’s. According to the Globe, Assistant Manager Faye Goldman recently partnered with Central, a restaurant right across the street. (https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/globelocal/2018/12/28/zocoffeeshop/8WfzSfGcD6nDmG88QEqn4J/story.html) Central is open at 4pm, for the dinner crowd, and so Goldman has opened a cafe there during the daytime hours. So far this looks to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Maybe some Peet’s loyalists will strike up a similar partnership with a restaurant or business on Harvard St? I hope so. The Peet’s rumor mill told me that there may be something Peet-y coming to The Arcade. I already have a name for it: For Peet’s Sake.
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