A number of business changes have changed the landscape of the campus and surrounding area over the past few months. Popular pasta place Proto and cheesesteak restaurant Sammy are that. Opened. Both recently closed their corner locations in October of last year. At Grounds, coffee chain BrewBike has also closed its doors, and will be home to a new Grit. Replacement Starbucks in Nau Hall.
Other closures on the corner in the past year include Little John, College Inn, Sheet And The juicy laundry. Little John served customers for 40 years before closing, and The College Inn opened in 1953 as a corner pub.
Sheets’ former location remains open, but the College Inn has since been replaced by Chipotle. Little John’s was replaced by Sammy’s Corner before it closed this year, and the Juice Laundry’s former corner location will soon be occupied. replaced Along with vape and tobacco shop Carytown Tobacco.
While Sammy’s former owner could not be reached for comment, both BrewBike and Pronto cited the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for their business closures.
Proto’s former co-owner, Daniel Kaufman, said the outbreak began to slow business a few months after opening in January 2020.
“When the students come back in 2021, business is back, but it’s far from the levels we saw when it first opened,” Kaufman said. “At this point, we were playing catch-up, and just as we were about to catch up, students were gone for the winter and we started accumulating debt again.”
In an email to The Cavalier Daily, Sarah Gordon, marketing manager for Aramark, similarly pointed to the outbreak as the main culprit behind BrewBike’s closure. Gordon explained that Covid-19 has left closure as the only option for the coffee shop.
“Unfortunately, the lasting effects of the pandemic have made it impossible to continue, so BrewBike will be closing operations this semester,” Gordon said.
In addition to the economic impact of the pandemic, real estate foreclosures in Charlottesville have been on the rise over the past few years, creating additional challenges for local businesses.
College sophomore Chloe Renken was disappointed by the recent closure. Renken said she found Breubeek comfortable, and noted the impact of the closure on the student workforce.
“I was going. [to Brewbike] Because he used Flex Dollars at least twice a week last year and was near my chemistry class,” Renken said. “Also, a lot of students worked there, so I feel really bad. I guess they are out of work now, and I wonder where they are finding work.
Despite the challenges other businesses have faced, popular Charlottesville coffee chain Grit has managed to expand into Grounds. Grit Chief Operating Officer Dan FitzHenry said in an email to Cavalier Daily that he hopes to continue the strong relationship between the university and local businesses.
“U.V.A. And Aramark cares deeply about partnering with local food and beverage brands, and we’re honored to be among those with a physical footprint at Grounds,” said FitzHenry. “Our hope is that the U.V. We provide excellent service to the community and to the students, faculty and staff who come to visit us.
Despite the closures, students are still looking forward to what the change will bring to the university. College sophomore Annabelle Hartch is excited about the options for grits coffee at Grate.
“I’m hoping the grit will be of the same quality as the one outside the corner,” she said. “It will be amazing to study – they have a lot of different drinks.”
Renken echoed these sentiments. She appreciates the fact that local businesses are replacing multinational chains.
She said, “I’d rather have Grit because I think they have better quality coffee.” “Starbucks is a big chain that doesn’t always give you good quality – everywhere has a different taste.”
When asked about the recent closures in and around the Grounds, Hartch was pessimistic about new businesses.
I’m sad to see all those restaurants close, but hopefully some exciting businesses will take their place,” Hartch said.
