A coffee chain local to Portland, Oregon, announced it is closing its downtown location due to the “extreme violence and criminal activity” its employees have endured, the New York Post reported on Wednesday.
Coava Coffee Roasters announced “with a heavy heart” on Instagram this week that the downtown location’s last full day of operation is April 13. The chain said it is closing the location after trying to employ several different strategies to deal with the rampant crime in the city.
“The team members at this cafe have been on the front line enduring extreme violence and criminal activity on an almost daily basis for the last few years– crime and violence that is only increasing in frequency and severity. From theft, to physical displays of violence, threats of harm, break-ins, window smashing, and repeated traumatic in-cafe incidents where both staff and patrons feel unsafe,” the Instagram post reads.
“We have brought all the resources to bear that we have access to: doubling up on shifts, locking one entrance, de-escalation training, hazard pay, and heightened management oversight,” the post continues. “This has proven to not be a temporary situation—and it is not a situation we can manage. Most importantly, it is not a situation where we can thrive. We cannot continue operation here as we cannot ensure the safety of our team and customers. Our neighboring businesses have seen it, too – and we’ve watched them close one by one over the past few years. Sadly, we now join them.”
Other businesses have shutdown in Portland as violent crime continues to plague the city. In March, Walmart said it is closing all locations in Portland due to financial reasons. Before the announcement, Walmart’s CEO warned that stores may shut their doors for good and prices may jump due to the extremely high number of retail crimes in stores all over the nation.
“Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon explained during an interview.
Another shop closed down in November of 2022 after experiencing 15 break-ins.
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