The founders of a recently closed-down coffee shop near campus hope to muster up $20,000 in donations to reopen elsewhere.
Know Where Coffee, previously located at 1226 W. University Ave., closed its doors Nov. 2 after unexpected construction costs plunged the shop into debt. But it closed with the intentions of eventually reopening.
On Sunday, co-founder Deyanira Romero created a GoFundMe page in an attempt to raise enough money to relocate.
“We wanted to create an outlet for people to show their support for the coffee shop,” Romero said.
Alfonso Guerrero, Romero’s husband and the shop’s manager, said he and his wife are working to find a new location with better foot traffic and a way to operate more efficiently.
“We know it’s a process,” Guerrero said. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”
Guerrero and Romero said they chose $20,000 as the goal on their GoFundMe page because they know from past experience that would be the minimum amount they would need to start again. The shop was $30,000 in debt when it closed, according to Alligator archives.
They said they do not know if their fundraising goal will be met, so they are also looking to potential partners and investors for help.
The goal is to reopen by Fall 2017, with a soft opening during Summer B, but they plan to take their time to properly prepare.
Guerrero said he knows the one thing that won’t change is the quality of the shop’s locally sourced artisanal coffee.
Cami Hall, 20, said she feels Know Where’s pricey brews — ranging from $2.75 to $5.50 per cup — may deter some customers. Despite visiting the shop’s previous location every other week, she said she hopes Guerrero lowers his prices if he reopens the shop.
“I hope the best for them,” the UF business administration junior said. “I love seeing small businesses succeed.”
