Murray Street Coffee Could Close if the Owners Can't Raise $10,000

By Scott Reitz Fri., Nov. 7 2014 at 11:23 AM

No. Seriously.

It's 9 a.m. on a Friday and the energy at Murray Street Coffee is a little more buzzy than usual, and the nervous energy has nothing to do with caffeine. Earlier this week, landlords for the space delivered a letter informing owners Elizabeth and Doug Davis that they were behind on their rent and fees in the amount of $10,000. To further stoke the urgency, the balance was due in full by the end of the day that Saturday.

The debt -- a mixture of water bills, insurance premiums and taxes -- had slowly accrued over the last four to five years, according to Elizabeth. "I knew I owed them money," she said. She just never thought her landlords would try to collect it all in one day.

According to the Davises, a letter was dropped off Wednesday evening, but it wasn't clearly marked. The envelope sat with other mail for a full day, eroding a third of the time they had to respond to the notice. But despite the short timeline, Doug remains unusually upbeat. "Our landlords aren't villains," he says, though he's clearly not happy with the way the notice was handled.

Murray Street Coffee opened in 2005 and has gained a reputation as the quirky neighborhood spot to get a caffeine fix on the edge of Deep Ellum. But over the past nine years, a coffee trend has exploded in Dallas, bringing sleek-high end shops to nearly every neighborhood. Customers now have many options for their lattes and cappuccinos, and likely pass a few of them as they drive from their homes to Murray Street Coffee. But despite the shifting environment, Liz says she's reluctant to adapt. "I've tried to change but I don't want to," she says. Besides, Elizabeth notes that their business has been great. "I just don't have $10,000 lying around."

Good business or not, change will be coming to the Davis coffee shop quickly, either in the form of a huge influx of cash, or shuttered doors on Monday morning. Beside the register, a log keeps track of gift cards sold to raise money to save the shop. Already, customers have stepped up and purchased $50, $100 and smaller denomination cards in support of the business. Two customers have purchased $500 cards. Meanwhile, friends of the Davises have set up a Tilt site to collect donations.

Despite the large sum, the short timeline and the increased competition in the Dallas coffee world, Doug labels himself as cautiously upbeat. "Murray Street Coffee has become a huge part of the community," he says. "I can't help but to be optimistic that the community will respond."

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Murray Street Coffee Shop

103 Murray St., Dallas, TX

Category: Restaurant

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inarchetype

its not the competition, guys, its that they're never opened. I'd spend a lot more money there if their hours didn't stink.

TheCredibleHulk topcommenter

Only very rarely do great food and beverage and shrewd business sense coalesce in the same space.

807chris

Absolutely pathetic. Businesses are not charities. Disgusting that as we near Veterans Day these impotent proprietors are bailed out as if their plight is some grand cause. Those who "donated" surely must realize that there are others truly in need of support rather than the shameless, pride-less, incompetent, "want to be" hipsters who begged in the name of their own self interest. My bet is these types preach the warm fuzzy politics of re-distribution to help others but prefer to be on the receiving end, destroying notions of responsibility or accountability. They are hypocrites who most likely decry all special interests and business bail-outs but their own.

Their customer service is terrible, their coffee is mediocre and their attitude of entitlement is stomach churning. Don't fool yourselves into vilifying the actual owners of the property. The landlords are the victim here. They were stolen from. But somehow our world distorts reason and has turned these shaggy inept shop keepers and their misguided supporters into some sort of heroes instead of the Birkenstock pariahs they should be.

If this clan had any shred of decency they would turn over their internet handouts to a worthy cause such as a disabled veterans charity or homeless shelter.

Maybe the landlord will still kick them to the curb for default as should happen Maybe others will realize what really occurred and will stop supporting these selfish greedy failures and head to a more worthy coffee shop. Maybe pseudo journalists will stop handing out free press via stories as this, delusional in their belief that some greater good is being served.

The landlord has my support. I would be happy to lease the property immediately if it became vacant. Those poor landlords need to be protected from thieving, foot dragging, double talking, insolvent, misleading, over promising, irresponsible tenants who breech contracts. Where is the crowd source campaign for the folks that really got hurt here?

txturquoise

"I've tried to change but I don't want to,"

Isnt that the definition of insanity?

Ten years and they've been accumulationg a little debt here and there and they are shocked the landlord wants his money?

Oh, please. How bout I set up a Go FundMe account to pay off my credit card debt.

What is the difference?

My understanding is this is a great coffee shop and everyone loves it but I'm perplexed at their inability to manage their business affairs.

davincitx

What's the hold-up on fixing that first line in the story? All you have to do is take out "on a Friday afternoon." Is no one at DO watching reader comments and making corrections when people find errors?

dallasite2013

Let me get this straight; they've been open10 years, don't make a profit and are unwilling to change?That's not a business, it's a hobby. Why would anyone bail out someone who can't figure out that if the rent isn't covered, it's time to go. There are plenty of coffee places and I have to say, I've been in there and it's nothing special. They aren't offering the "community" anything it can't get elsewhere. Frankly, they should let this thing die with dignity.

ScottsMerkin topcommenter

Can I not pay some of my debts, let them build, cry to you when someone finally comes for the money and then get you to set up a Tilt account to pay my debts off? Seriously, you never expected them to collect it in one day? It seems as you stated in the story, you've had 4-5 years to make it right

notallofeastdallasislakewood

"It's 9 a.m. on a Friday afternoon"

Only at the Observer.

Mervis

"I knew I owed them money," she said. She just never thought her landlords would try to collect it all in one day.

Rolls eyes.

inarchetype

I think they'd have better luck breaking even if they weren't millennial hipster trash who won't work more than three hours a day because if would conflict with their cartoons.