Coffee News
Artsy Fort Worth coffee shop Love Local Coffee to close after 5 years
A Fort Worth coffee shop is closing its doors: Love Local Coffee and Art, which has been serving coffee and showcasing local art in the Overton Park Plaza shopping center for five years, will close on April 30.
According to owner Sara Tucker, she's closing due to an increase in rent.
"I am saddened to share that due to the significant yearly increases in our property’s base rent and mandatory fees (CAM charges), we have chosen not to renew our lease," she said. "Every time the charges increased (even during the pandemic), we had to raise our prices to help cover them."
Tucker opened the shop at 4612 S.W. Loop 820 as the fulfillment of a longheld dream. She opened in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 with coffee and espresso drinks, teas, and baked goods provided in a partnership with Pinch of Salt Sweets, a pastry shop in Grapevine. (Tucker also expanded there with a coffee bar outlet inside the shop, which has since closed.)
Art was a big part of the operation, with gallery walls and a gift shop selling unique, locally made items that fulfilled the shop's aesthetic, mission, and community.
Tucker was idealistically hoping to bring a little coffee culture to the southwest area of Fort Worth, but it was an uphill battle.
"I had lived in southwest Fort Worth for many years before deciding where to open the shop," she said. "I knew that the area mostly included chains and big box stores. I hoped to bring more of a coffee community this direction, and I love that it was so well received and appreciated by our sweet customers."
"[But] the space next door has sat vacant for almost three years now," she said. "Over the years, we began to realize that this location was not ideal for a small coffee shop to thrive. I do hope that this pocket of Fort Worth can grow to include (and sustain) more small and local businesses."
She said that closing won't be easy, after an intense personal investment.
"This coffee shop has been a dream of mine since I was 18, and has been an active part of my life for over a decade," she said. "Dreaming, planning, saving, then finally watching all of that hard work pay off. I’ve poured all of myself into this place… my time, money, emotions. … "I do feel like I’m losing a part of me. I will deeply miss the little community we’ve built here. I’ve seen so many of the same faces every week for five years. I love these people. And I love what I do."
Sadly, she is leaving the area — but she's not leaving the coffee world. Our loss is someone else's gain.
"This isn’t the end of coffee for me. But due to the circumstances, it’s the end of my coffee journey in Texas! I’m going to explore other states and see where I land next. So here’s to sad endings, but new beginnings."
In the interim, they're hosting a "garage sale" until their final day of business on April 30 when they'll close at 4 pm.
Cowtown Comfort by Celestina BlokReedy Press
Author and Fort Worth native Celestina Blok.
Photo courtesy of Celestina Blok.
