A small but beloved coffee chain in the Pacific Northwest is planning to shutter its last two locations next week after 22 years.
The Portland, Oregon-based Jim and Patty’s Coffee this week on Facebook said it is calling it quits on Nov. 11, when units in Beaverton and Fremont will close for good.
Known for the tagline “Good coffee. No backtalk,” Jim and Patty’s attempted a GoFundMe campaign launched in August to raise $250,000 to deal with accumulated debt since Covid, along with the ever-rising cost of doing business.
Added to those challenges was the illness of co-founder Jim Roberts, who died in 2023. For two years, his wife and co-founder Patty Roberts was focused on his care, the GoFundMe campaign said. When she returned to the coffee shops, the financial challenges threatened the continuation of the business.
The campaign raised more than $40,000, but that wasn’t enough.
The Roberts have a long history in the coffee segment. Jim Roberts learned about pour-over brewed coffee working at The Coffee Bean in Eugene, Oregon. Later, with Patty, the Roberts launched their own coffeehouse concept called The Coffee Man, which later became Coffee People.
Coffee People grew to about 25 units in and around Portland, with additional franchised locations in Chicago, Denver, Arizona and California, according to the company’s website.
The Roberts are also believed to be the first to launch a drive-thru espresso-based coffee concept in 1990, which was called Motor Moka.
Coffee People in 1998 went public in a reverse merger with Gloria Jean’s Inc., which then had 30 company operated and 247 franchised locations, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Roberts sold their shares in the business.
In 2002, they launched Jim and Patty’s, which combined great coffee with baked goods, made from scratch in house.
In the social media posts, Patty Roberts promised a cookbook is in the works. She also thanked the community for 22 years of support.
“Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your support through the fundraiser and the auction and through all the years since we first opened our doors at 5015 NE Fremont. It’s been wonderful,” she wrote. “We have so many friends, so many memories, a lot of joy and a lot of heartache that you have shared with us over the years. You have taken care of us through it all. Thank you for everything.”
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