Quarrelsome Coffee, a beloved coffeehouse and roastery just minutes away from campus, permanently closed its doors on Sunday, Feb. 2.
The coffee shop posted to their Instagram on Saturday with little warning to the community, “All goodbyes are hard, but this one may be the hardest,” the post read. “We have loved being a part of the neighborhood and your everyday coffee routine.”
The closure came unexpectedly just two years after their grand opening in the Central West End. Quarrelsome boasted ethically sourced coffee and a fermentation brewing process for their drinks.
Due to the shop’s location at 33 N Sarah St., many Saint Louis University students called Quarrelsome their study spot of choice. Quarrelsome’s unique and artsy branding and modern yet comfortable interior, attracted the attention of anyone looking to settle down, plug in a laptop and enjoy what the cafe had to offer.
Owner Mark Schwarz provided a brief statement to The University News about the closure and expressed gratitude for the community’s love for the shop.
“I know our closing has come as a shock to those who have grown to love [and perhaps depend on] our coffee and cafe. Since the announcement, it’s been incredibly humbling to hear from so many people about the meaningful impact Quarrelsome has had on their day-to-day lives. Unfortunately, our closing is for financial reasons. Choosing to open where we did, in such a vibrant neighborhood, was an easy decision so hopefully another business can pick up where we left off.”
For some students like Kim Tran, a freshman, the closure of Quarrelsome represents the loss of a beloved spot.
“I loved the walk there. Calming and peaceful,” Tran said.
Tran went on to say that she was in denial that the coffee shop was closing, praising their matcha and the positive energy of the cafe.
“I just went there last Saturday… I can’t believe they’re closing already,” Tran said.
Many students and local patrons have speculated why the location suffered and was forced to close its doors financially. Freshman Ruby Weekes suggested the cafe’s limited seating.
“I went to study with a friend. The vibes were okay… it was really hard to find seating,” Weekes said. “I don’t feel like they were taking advantage of the fact that they were next to a college.”
This issue is part of a larger trend in coffee houses around the country. Small businesses are struggling with customers overstaying their welcome by ordering a single inexpensive item and setting up to occupy tables for extended periods of time. This takes up valuable space from other paying customers.
With the steady increase in work-from-home individuals since the pandemic, this has become a major issue for small, local businesses that cannot afford to lose what little space they have.
When a cafe does not have open seats, incoming customers are forced to either take their coffee to-go and leave or stand and wait, leading to customer dissatisfaction and less than preferable sales. For this reason, many cafes are implementing no laptop policies or WiFi caps to prevent “squatters” from taking up space and bringing down the atmosphere.
The question remains on what kind of new business will take up the coffeehouse’s vacant space, but until then, those in mourning can still purchase merch or coffee from Quarrelsome’s online website, https://quarrelsome.coffee/ while supplies last.
