Eighteen months after opening on one of downtown New Canaan’s most conspicuous street corners, Kaahve coffee shop at East Avenue and Main Street is closing its doors, the business’s owner said.
New Canaan resident Esref Cezzar said he was deeply grateful for the regulars who patronized Kaahve, though the clientele never rose to a sustainable level.
“There is not enough business, simple as that,” Cezzar told NewCanaanite.com. “And the business we have doesn’t pay the rent.”
Kaahve will close Sept. 30.
Cezzar, a native of Turkey, served Turkish coffee and an assortment of baked goods and sandwiches in a space he renovated extensively after its prior tenant, Ten Thousand Villages, vacated 96 Main St. He employed local kids as baristas, hung locally created art on the walls and hosted local musicians at Kaahve.
“We have a lot of followers, we have a very good customer base that comes here almost every day,” Cezzar said. “I thank them for that. They like our product, they like the coffee. They say they like the place. Without their support, we would have closed six, seven, eight months ago.”
Cezzar said he will look to reopen in a smaller space that perhaps is better positioned to capitalize on foot traffic.
“I am going to look for a place that is in a more busy area, a more crowded area,” he said. “It could be in town but most likely it will be somewhere else. A much smaller place. This is too big—I made a mistake on that.”
Really a shame. It was nice to have a quiet alternative to Starbucks; food and coffee were delicious and reasonable. Best of luck to Mr. Cezzar; here’s hoping he can find the smaller space he needs here in town.
This is sad, Everything reported about the atmosphere and product were spot on. I believe it is the best spot in town to have a meeting and have a little space between you and the others. I was excited for Kaahve when New Canaan Music moved and hoped it would provide the necessary foot traffic to continue forward. I wish Cezzar luck and hope he can find a local venue or an angel to intervene.
I thought that when they opened… too big for a boutique coffee house! Hopefully he stays in town. Great coffee.
So sorry that Mr.Cezzar is closing. This is such a lovely space and he is such a nice man…not to mention the amazing coffee. I will miss this place.