Republic Coffee will close its doors for good Monday, Feb. 8, after serving coffee to Memphians and students alike for years. Barista Tiffany Harmon had been a regular at the coffee shop before joining its staff last month.
The days of Girl Scout Mochas and Che Che’s will come to an end Monday when Republic Coffee closes its doors for good.
Sitting two miles from the University of Memphis, on Walnut Grove Road, Republic has been serving the Memphis community for over ten years.
The closing of Republic is going to be tough to get over, Ripley Neff, a senior English major at the U of M and server at the coffee shop for two years, said.
Republic Coffee will close its doors for good Monday, Feb. 8, after serving coffee to Memphians and students alike for years.
Barista Tiffany Harmon had been a regular at the coffee shop before joining its staff last month.
“What I’ll miss the most are the people I’ve met here, both staff and regulars,†Neff said.
Aside from the eclectic menu item names and all-day breakfast, Republic is known for being a popular hang out and study place for students.
More than half of the shop’s business came from students, many of those Neff recognized as fellow U of M students, she said.
“Republic closing is the saddest news I’ve heard in a while,†said U of M junior Travis Hyman. “It’s been my second home since I’ve started going to Memphis. It’s the only coffee shop I’ve ever been productive at in town.â€
The other halves of booths at Republic were filled with coffee connoisseurs of all ages, occupations and races, Neff said.
One of those connoisseurs was Commercial Appeal sports columnist Geoff Calkins, who filled the corner booth at least once a week for the past ten years.
“The great thing about Republic, other than the friendly atmosphere, is that it was spacious; there was room to spread out and get work done,†Calkins said. “It became like a second office to me. It was the place I met people for interviews, the place I wrote stories and the place I went to have a break from the kids.â€
