Concord cafe and nightspot True Brew to shut, due to retirement more than COVID - Concord Monitor

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  Coffee and crepes and paninis – Oh My! – surrounded by books in the 'Love Building!'Coffee and crepes and paninis – Oh My! – surrounded by books in the “Love Building!”

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  TRUE BREW Geoff Forester

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  A placard shows an advertisement for CBD oil at True Brew Barista in Concord. Caitlin Andrews

Monitor staff

Published: 7/1/2020 5:18:08 PM

A decade after it opened in Bicentennial Square as a coffee shop that later expanded into a nightclub, True Brew is closing as its owners retire.

Unlike many store closings happening now, the decision has not been forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Business has actually been pretty good,” said Stephanie Zinser, co-owner of True Brew with her husband, Robert.

While the cafe’s indoor seating has been shut since the stay-at-home order in late March, pick-up orders and the the ability to serve people outdoors in Bicentennial Square, an enclosed space just off Main Street, has kept up their income.

The decision to close, Zinser said, was driven by personal rather than business wishes.

“We’ve been thinking about this for some time,” she said. “It’s time for us to slow down.”

A True Brew offshoot that has been operating as a coffee shop in Gibson’s Bookstore since 2013 will remain, although it is currently closed as part of COVID-19 restrictions.

“We will have a coffee shop in that space. We’re still working on plans,” said Michael Herrmann, owner of Gibson’s on Main Street. “We have a little bit of time to work out the details.”

Gibson’s plans to reopen the bookstore July 7 on a limited basis, the first time customers have been inside since the stay-at-home order landed.

True Brew opened in 2009 as a takeout-only coffee shop but its location on Bicentennial Square proved a hit. It soon added seating and bathrooms and in 2012 expanded into the adjoining space, adding liquor and creating a nighttime music scene that thrived.

Zinser said the cafe would keep its outdoor and pickup business going sporadically through this month so employees could find other jobs, inventory could be sold, and customers can use their gift cards. She said customers should check the cafe’s Facebook page to see exactly which days and hours it will be open.

True Brew leases the location. There are no current plans for what will replace True Brew. Zinser said the couple would be willing to discuss selling the business, and that anybody looking to buy equipment or supplies should contact the coffee shop via email or Facebook.

As for what comes next, the Zinsers are enthusiastic boaters on Lake Winnipesaukee. As they put it on Facebook: “We love the Concord NH community and will be around when we aren’t sailing around on the Big Lake!”

“We’re wishing them well on their retirement. They’ve done a great job for us,” said Herrmann.

(David Brooks can be reached at 369-3313 or dbrooks@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @GraniteGeek.)

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Concord cafe and nightspot True Brew to shut, due to retirement more than COVID - Concord Monitor
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