Popular coffee shop to close after 18 years – Citing rising crime as the reason
Kaladi Brothers Coffee announced on Friday that it will be closing its downtown branch at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, a location it has occupied for 18 years. The decision is attributed to ongoing safety concerns. This closure follows the opening of another Kaladi Brothers shop in the nearby ConocoPhillips tower just two months earlier.
In an Instagram post, the company expressed its fondness for the 621 W. Sixth Ave. cafe and its appreciation for both its customers and staff.
The site at the performing arts center has been the focus of numerous police interventions, as reported by the Anchorage police.
Tim Gravel, a co-owner of Kaladi, mentioned that the closure is coinciding with the expiration of their lease with the Center for the Performing Arts. He highlighted various disturbances caused by unruly individuals, ranging from throwing objects inside the café to inappropriate behavior outside the premises.
Gravel noted a decline in safety over the past four years, which led to the hiring of a security guard in recent months and the removal of most seating to reduce loitering. He also mentioned the uncertainty regarding the extent of these issues being related to homelessness. Anchorage has been struggling to provide adequate shelter and support for its homeless population, a challenge that has intensified in the aftermath of the pandemic, leading to a rise in the number of unsheltered individuals.
