Lawlss Coffee, 233 E. College Ave., is permanently closed as of May 13, as owner Stephan Witchell said he was struggling to keep it open.
Witchell was the sole owner of the Appleton location and said it had been struggling financially for the last three years.
“I got myself in over my head and it’s hard to keep up with the cash flow and everything else,” Witchell said. “I’ve been using money from my other businesses to pay for the Appleton location and keep it going.”
According to public records, Lawlss Coffee owes $2,235.94 to the Department of Revenue for delinquent taxes.
“I just keep pouring money and time into this, taking from other parts of my business and taking away from my mental health, so I just decided to cut ties with it,” Witchell said.
Witchell, who has majority ownership of the Neenah and Sturgeon Bay locations, said he plans to focus on the remaining coffee shops. Neither of the remaining locations are in jeopardy of closing according to Witchell.
He also plans to prioritize the Lawlss coffee roasting line.
“My passion is really in roasting coffee and supporting other coffee shops,” Witchell said. “I learned that I like coffee shops, but owning and operating isn’t really my strong suit.”
Lawlss Coffee beans can be found at Woodman’s, local coffee shops and at any of its locations. Witchell said he’s in the process of getting them sold at Festival Foods as well.
Despite the financial struggles, Witchell said he is grateful for the time he had running the Appleton Lawlss Coffee.
“I feel very lucky and privileged to have been able to start a location in a building that first ignited my love for coffee when it was Pilgrim’s Cafe,” Witchell said. “While the last three years have been really hard, I’m looking forward to the future and shifting my focus to roasting coffee.”
Customers with gift cards to the Appleton Lawlss Coffee can redeem them at the Neenah location.
For more information on Lawlss Coffee visit lawlsscoffee.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Downtown Appleton coffee shop closes permanently due to financial strain
Reporting by Jelissa Burns, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
