Stumpjack update
Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 9:01AM Stumpjack Coffee is officially fini in Two Rivers. The space we formerly occupied is now a very different coffee house under different ownership. For five years we brought excellent coffee, food, music and ambiance to the small town of Two Rivers. We made many, many good friends...many that will no doubt remain dear friends for a very long time. The outpouring of love, support and sadness that people have shared with us since learning of our closing is almost overwhelming. Thank you all, so very, very much.
We met so many wonderful, positive people and enjoyed so many fantstic experiences there. When we started many people told us that Two Rivers would be a tough nut to crack,that it is an insular, provinicial town. Those cautionary tales turned out to be only somewhat true, with a select few relentlessly vocal detractors doing their best to make life difficult for a few businesses.
(One or two of those short-sighted types are also members of the Two Rivers City Council, which speaks volumes for the direction that Two Rivers may unfortunately be headed in the coming years. When council members, who are supposed to have the city's best interests in mind when they assume office, instead use their positions to discourage businesses and carry out personal vendettas, then what results is dysfunction, stagnation and petty personalities taking precidence over a city's growth and opportunities. We hope that the larger population steps up to address and discourage that kind of counterproductive attitude.)
But that's a somewhat tangential gripe about things swirling around the city in general. By and large, Two Rivers is home to many wonderful, progressively-minded and welcoming people. There are small businesses there that are interesting (Bark, Bath & Beyond comes immediately to mind) and long-standing (the wonderful Kurtz's Pub & Deli and Schroeder's Dept. Store, for example). We've certainly had a fiercely loyal and very vocal group of supporters and friends, many from the area and even more from outside the area.
But the up & down, seasonal nature of the business in TR is not something we had anticipated, and in spite of achieving a consistent monthly increase in sales and traffic every single month since we re-opened late last winter (2010) we came to feel that the size of the community itself would, at some point, create a ceiling over how far we could grow. And we want to grow, grow and expand beyond what we believe we is practical in this particular location.
So, we decided that we needed to "make a decision." And our decision was to move forward, into a more populated area, one where we might better mesh with a larger, more diverse population that will enable us to do more things and reach more people.
We have a lot of work yet to do while pursuing that plan: debts to clear up from the closing of this location, groundwork in preparing for the next location, family considerations, etc. It will be a little while before we announce the next grand opening. We want to take along the hundreds of people who have been with us for so long. But since we can't do that we will of course put out special invitations to all of our friends that helped make Stumpjack the unique and successful adventure that it was.
The blogsite and other things will continue as we work toward that goal (there's always something to talk about!). Let's stay connected.
Reader Comments (2)
We are, of course, saddened to lose what had become our favorite business within TR. And "business" is really a poor word to describe what truly was a remarkable cultural collage that went well beyond the boundaries of an ordinary coffee shop. As many of the visiting performing artists and tourists would remark, this coffee shop was a rare gem and unique in many ways.
While we are saddened to have something that is so near and dear to us depart, we are so grateful for the things that Stumpjack provided to us. So many new experiences and friends that we have discovered through this social gathering site. Without Stumpjack, we may not have had the opportunity to gain the same level of appreciation for indie singer-songwriter music, that we so enjoy today. Our house is filled with art pieces that were first displayed at Stumpjack.
We could go on and on about how Stumpjack had enriched our lives and how we will deeply miss it. For us this cultural beacon called "Stumpjack" was so much more than a mere coffee shop and one of the best things that ever happened to the city of Two Rivers. We will forever remember Stumpjack Coffee and will cherish our friendships that were fostered there.
Peace, love, and much success in your future ventures, David and Kim. Thanks so much for all you have given us over the years. We are honored and blessed to have friends such as you.
Brian & Darla Powell
Oh my, well, that is the sweetest, nicest and most awesome compliment ever. Thank you very much indeed, Brian & Darla. And yes, I humbly yet proudly agree with you: "...this cultural beacon called "Stumpjack" was so much more than a mere coffee shop and one of the best things that ever happened to the city of Two Rivers." Thank you so much for saying it. Kim & I are so very appreciative of you guys, that you entered our lives and for the support you showed the coffee house. We will definitely see you at the next incarnation of the Stump. <3