News

Citizen Espresso Bar Owner Calls it Quits; Letter Says She Was Forced By Her Investor/Mom to Leave

By Laura Hahnefeld Thu., Apr. 19 2012 at 3:07 PM
Categories: News

ACitizen Espresso-thumb-350x350.jpg
UPDATE: Citizen Espresso Bar mom and owner responds to daughter's Facebook letter.

Here's one family table we'll consider ourselves fortunate not to be sitting at over the holidays.

Tiffany Dew, owner and operator of Citizen Espresso Bar, has called it quits. The reason? She says it's her investor, Sherry Dew, who also happens to be her mom.

Dew purchased the coffee shop on Central Avenue just south of Camelback in February. Formerly Lola Coffee, where Dew was a longtime employee, she changed the name to Citizen Espresso Bar and continued to use Lola's house-roasted beans but brought in changes of her own, such as a new espresso machine and making homemade baked goods on site.

Now, just over two months after opening, it appears the proverbial shit has hit the family fan.

Today, a letter was posted on Citizen Espresso Bar's Facebook page reading:

"This message is to let you all know that Tiffany and her incredible vision for Citizen Espresso Bar and our community is no longer.

As of last week, Tiffany was threatened and forced to leave her own coffee bar for the last time by her investor = mother.

The amazing morning team assembled has also been terminated and so has the in house baker and baked goods. Your new Citizen owner / operator will now be souring [sic] you fine Costco and Fry's baked goods a portion of the week.

Tiffany and I want to thank all of you for your support in what we truly felt was an amazing opportunity, vision, and concept for the community... and we were just getting started.

There is much to this disgusting story -- but for now know our hearts are broken by someone we trusted and approached to partner in the creation of Citizen.

Love, Tiffany and Mitzie"

A call to Dew's mother, Sherry Dew, has been placed.

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Citizen Espresso Bar

4700 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ

Category: General

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Citizen Espresso Bar, coffee, coffee shop, Lola Coffee, Phoenix coffee shop, Tiffany Dew
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vicelord
vicelord

wow. Well, I went in there once recently and while they were nice to me, the coffee wasn't that great compared to Lux or LGO. Their hours were weird too closing way too early to be a neighborhood destination, and I didn't like the open room full of echoes. If it's true that the place will be serving gas station or grocery store level products, it probably won't survive in a location where people are seemingly very quality conscious. My guess is mom lives in the suburbs where you can duck in and grab a shit cup of coffee at the Chevron and thinks anyone will be happy with that at any location.

Cheerstoasweetlife
Cheerstoasweetlife

That is unfortunate! I hope they can squash the drama and let a business have a chance to thrive. 

Brian
Brian

 Don't you think the mother is only shutting it down because it's losing money?  I mean, who would shut down the business of the daughter if it was successful.

I'm actually ashamed for the daughter and her "friends" for publicly criticizing her mother for not pouring more money into a sinking ship.

As a father, I'd absolutely try to help my daughter run a business, but would absolutely pull the plug if the numbers didn't work. 

Obviously, two coffee bars have failed here.  It's not happening folks.  Don't blame the mother for that.

My guess is she signed a lease.  And by serving her own coffee and using inexpensive baked goods from elsewhere, she is trying to keep costs to a bare minimum and see if the thing can still survive.  So she loses a little less of her money on the lease.

prease
prease

The business is not failing, nor are they closing.

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