After more than three decades, JC Beans, an independent Dana Point coffeehouse noted for its A-frame building and drive-thru window, served its last cup of joe on Sunday, Aug. 30.
The shop at 34114 Coast Highway closed at 4:30 p.m., according to an Aug. 25 announcement on its Instagram account. But the business is looking for another location. “It has been a pleasure serving you for these past 32 years,” the missive read. “We are looking for another location to move.”
The post did not identify a new address.
In its place, according to Ronnie Givargis, CEO and president of Scratch Bakery Cafe, a new Scratch Bakery Cafe concept will open boasting the eatery’s first drive-thru location. This will mark the brand’s third location, along with its Newport Beach and Laguna Hills outposts.
Founded in 1994, the coffeehouse is owned by Ozzie Olea. In December of last year, Dana Point named JC Beans its Business of the Quarter.
The cafe’s menu ranged from caramel macchiatos and mocha freezes to breakfast burritos, chocolate croissants and bear claws. Unlike the staid and antiseptic interiors found at some other contemporary cafes these days, inside JC Beans guests could find a used-books library, local artwork, a peaked roof with beaming, funky mismatched seating and a quiet patio space.
The news of the closure prompted hundreds of comments on Instagram, with regulars mourning their chai tea lattes and praising the staff members who routinely remembered their orders.
“I live off your dirty chais and your staff has always been so kind and memorizes my order,” wrote @nicole.a.sherlock. “This breaks my heart.”
“My best high school memories involved a chai latte from here,” wrote @its.just.esmeralduh. “I always go back on my college breaks and order the largest size of your lattes.”
The shop directed customers to follow @jc_beanscoffee for updates on its search for another location.
“I simply cannot live without JC Beans,” penned @carlyhume. “There has to be a solution out there! Your community will back you up wherever you land next.”
A reason for the closure was not given.
JC Beans, located a block away from a Starbucks outpost, operated within Dana Point’s burgeoning Lantern Village neighborhood, where Bear Coast Coffee and Oakland-based chain Philz also have locations a few blocks away.