Only coffee shop in Coventry closes

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS -- Mitch Attenson is a creature of habit, especially when it comes to getting his daily cup of coffee at Caribou Coffee in Coventry.

But Tuesday morning, instead of a latte, Mitch got a big dose of disappointment. Caribou Coffee, the only coffee shop in Coventry, is now closed.

"It?s very upsetting to me," Mitch said.

Henry Goodnough isn't too happy either. He just moved here from California to attend med school at nearby Case Western.

"I think it's a requirement for a nice place to live for students and professionals,? Henry said.

Some people might think the loss of a coffee shop is no big deal. But in this neighborhood, it's so much more than a business, it's a tie that binds the community together.

?I think a coffee shop is essential for an urban neighborhood. It's a gathering place for people."

Suzanne DeGaetano has owned Macs Backs book store in Coventry for 30 years, and is well versed in Coventry?s coffee connection.

"Actually Coventry in Cleveland is the birthplace of the coffee house culture,? DeGaetano said. ?The Arabica opened here in the 70's."

Corporate downsizing is the reason this Caribou is closing, an explanation that's hard to swallow.