JavAmore cafe in Pengrove closes after 22 years

On October 26, more than 100 customers and neighbors of the JavAmore Cafe in Pengrove immediately took to social media to share fond memories and express their sadness at the announcement at 10:45 that morning of the upcoming closure of the town center landmark.

“It is bittersweet that after 22 years, JavAmore will close at the end of the day on Saturday, November 2, 2024,” owner Kim Hanson wrote in a statement posted on the restaurant’s page. Facebook page. “This was an extremely difficult decision, but a necessary one.”

News of Hanson’s closure and retirement brought an outpouring of well wishes and thanks from loyal customers and employees, including many who no longer live in the area.

“Besides being a mom, working at Javamore was the best job I’ve ever had,” wrote former employee Amanda Crockett Osterhoudt. “It never felt like work. We were family. It was the first time I left home and you took me under your wing. There are many memories left that I will cherish for the rest of my life! I can’t thank you enough for the impact you’ve had on my life! Thank you, Mommy Kim and Javamore, for being part of my family! I hope you enjoy your retirement, you deserve it!”

“Kim, we will sorely miss your spirit, kindness, talent, love of your community, heart and damn good food,” customer Holly Curtin wrote. “You have also developed an incredible staff. Their work ethic and love for their “leader” was palpable. There was not a day that you or your staff greeted anyone entering your magical domain without a kind word, a smile and amazing service.”

Expressing her gratitude to “everyone who has passed through these doors often enough over the years,” Hanson used her announcement to thank her customers for “making this cafe what it is in this gem of a community.” Without you and my wonderful staff, he wouldn’t be here.”

Known for its cozy, old-fashioned atmosphere and Hanson’s extensive food service talents, JavAmore Café opened its doors at a time when Sonoma County’s Telecom Valley businesses were securing a large customer base. As nearby telecoms businesses moved out, the small town center cafe struggled to stay afloat, although it remained a beloved center of the small Pengrove community.

During COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020 and 2021, area residents often rallied in support of Hanson and her staff. IN History of Argus-Courier In a post published in December 2020, member Clark Miller described a so-called “Barbie Bush”—a tree decorated with Barbie dolls dressed in curious and fun ways and lying in hammocks made from COVID masks—standing outside the JavAmore Cafe. Artist Susie Rosenthal’s Barbie Bush, which has become a popular landmark in the area, was specifically designed to attract people to the cafe, where they might be tempted to order a coffee and a sandwich to go.

“The cafe is hugely important to our city,” Rosenthal told Miller at the time. “It’s a common hangout for locals – like the show ‘Cheers’.”

Shortly thereafter, in February 2021, as indoor sit-down restaurants remained closed, drive-thru crab feeding was introduced as a benefit for the cafe.

“Kim Hanson is the darling of our town,” longtime friend and Pengrove publicist Lindy Brown said at the time. “She organizes the Pengrove parade and the holiday lights parade. If necessary, she gathers troops.

But now, more than two decades later, Pengrove’s little cafe could have closed for good, at least with Hanson as its owner.

“It’s time to close the doors,” Hanson said in a statement on Facebook, “and open them to someone else who I hope you will accept.”

Hanson is planning one last gathering with the community that has supported her, a “Gratitude Gathering,” on Saturday, November 2, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the café. There will be light food, music and drinks.

“And,” Hanson said, “lots of hugs.”