PARK HILLS, KY − A steady stream of loyal customers filled Reality Tuesday Cafe on Monday morning, rallying around the beloved Northern Kentucky coffee shop as word spread that it could be forced to close its doors by Thursday.
The owner of the coffee shop that has become a neighborhood institution told The Enquirer she could face eviction at the end of April after her business was hammered by competition from a nearby national chain.
Owner Traci Gregg said her landlord notified her April 9 that she has until April 30 to pay more than $13,000 in back rent or face eviction from her storefront at 1518 Dixie Highway.
“Find a way to stay close by. We need you,” read one post on Reality Tuesday’s Facebook page.
“There is such a strong regular group who will be so sad to see this happen. SURELY there is a way through this. Absolutely heartbreaking, Traci,” read another post.
GoFundMe launched as costs mount
Gregg launched a GoFundMe campaign about a week ago that had raised roughly $6,000 by noon Monday. But she said she has been unable to secure a bank loan and continues to struggle with mounting operating costs.
She said the shop’s finances deteriorated quickly after a Dunkin’ opened less than a mile away in Fort Wright in May 2024.
National chain opening cut revenue in half
“I saw my business cut in half almost immediately,” Gregg said, estimating revenue fell from about $60,000 a month to $30,000. “I couldn’t compete with their drive‑through.”
Gregg said she asked her landlord for permission to install a drive‑through window at Reality Tuesday but was denied.
“In hindsight, I should have seen what was coming,” she said. “I probably should have said bye‑bye when I couldn’t open a drive‑through.”
A 25-year neighborhood fixture at risk
If the shop closes, it would end a more than 25-year run for the business that Gregg opened in 2000 with her then‑husband. She said she bought out his share of the business following their divorce in 2018.
The cafe employs a handful of full‑time workers and several part‑time employees and has served as a first job for many local students, including Gregg’s five children, she said.
“All my kids have worked here, and I’ve always hired kids from local schools,” she said, naming Dixie Heights High School, Covington Catholic High School, Notre Dame Academy and others.
Gregg, who lives in Independence, Kentucky, said she hasn’t given up entirely. If she can raise enough money to cover her debts, she may attempt to reopen in a new location.
She said she is unlikely to stay at her current location, citing long‑running maintenance issues, including roof leaks and plumbing problems that she said were slow to be addressed.
“I don’t know how I can continue to write a check to them (landlord) every month, knowing what my return on investment will be,” Gregg said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Beloved NKY coffee shop says national chain driving it out of business
Reporting by Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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