Closing time

A little over a year ago, the space at Second and Main streets previously occupied by Peet’s Coffee transformed. First, it was oddly split in half, diagonally. Then Chico Coffee Co. moved into the Second Street side. Windows were installed in the diagonal wall, signaling a complementary business would move in next door—à la The Handle Bar and AMain Cycling, where cyclists can ogle the bike-themed bar scene through picture windows and the bar flies can make plans to get in shape later.

Except, Bill’s Towne Lounge moved in next to Chico Coffee Co., and soon its side of the old Peet’s will open up into a patio (like, any day—I hear they’re installing the pool table this week!). So, what those inner windows were for is anybody’s guess.

Turns out someone might have a chance to take another stab at the Second Street space—Editor Melissa Daugherty and I walked by last week and saw the coffee shop was closed, and when I checked Facebook, I found co-owner Jennifer Silva had put all the fixtures up for sale. It’s hard to believe a coffee shop wouldn’t be able to make it in that location; maybe it was the strange layout, the lack of signage and the boarded-up entry to Bill’s patio next door.

Silva and partner Shawn Hamilton also owned Chico Coffee Co. by the DMV, two Cal Java locations—on The Esplanade and Notre Dame Boulevard—and Garden Villa Cafe off of Cohasset Road. The Esplanade spot recently changed ownership, but I’m not sure about the others. Silva didn’t reply to messages by press time. I wish her and Hamilton the best.

More coffee talk Summer is always a little unpredictable in Chico, as the students depart and businesses take stock of the year. Turns out, Chico Coffee Co. isn’t the only one calling it quits. The folks over at 15th Street Cafe, run by father-son duo Michael and Mark McGinnis, announced earlier this week that it was closing its doors. The last day there was Monday (July 21). Judging by the Facebook comments, the spot will be missed.

Another one bites the dust I got word earlier this week that Milestone Technologies Inc., once one of Chico’s largest employers, will be shutting its doors. A few years back, it cut about 100 employees from its Chico office, moving those positions to the Bay Area. I checked in with the city and Assistant City Manager Chris Constantin told me the company, which provides IT support for clients around the world, would be shutting its Chico operations Oct. 9.

Apparently the closure was prompted by a client cutting ties with Milestone, which will put 148 employees out of work. Constantin says Team Chico is already on it, and will help to place those people in other jobs in the area. The loss of Milestone is going to be a big hit to Chico’s professional community, which a few years ago also lost Facebook. Best of luck to everyone on the hunt for a new job.