Farewell to Thatcher's AKA Scottie MacBeans/Clintonville

Thursday, 30 November 2006
Thatcher's, formerly known as Scottie MacBeans on High Street in Clintonville is only one month away from being a very fond memory. I wish there was something I could do to get out the defibrillator paddles and make the straight line go away. Denial isn't going to work...I don't have the energy for the mental charade....I'm going straight towards sad acceptance.
WHY??? Why is such a dreamy coffee shop closing? Well, there are many "makes sense" reasons, which I see myself nodding to when they are explained to me... but in my heart, I want to KICK my "makes sense self" to the curb screaming and wailing... Noooooooooo!!!!!
Dead or not.. I'm still praying for a miracle until they kick my butt out of there, pack up the roaster, the coffee can paraphernalia, the pictures, the album cover wall entertainment, the "gobble you up couches", and the big clock on the wall that always eventually points to 11:15 every time I go in there, signaling that I must stop talking, listening, dreaming and refilling and head towards the door.
Packing up the "out from behind the counter" employees is something I'm afraid they won't be able to do. They'll still be wonderful... just someplace else. Hope they leave some clues when it's all over, so we can go buy their car insurance, pick up a copy of their bestseller, or ride to Spain on the airline they buy. I know they all will find their places in the world after the coffee bean dust settles; I'm just not sure we'll find another wardrobe to wander into any time soon. Coffee Narnia is about to dump the wardrobe and even if it's really balsa wood under the fine finish, I liked my ignorance while it lasted.
So, why not just find another coffee shop??? I'll tell you....
When you walk in the door, the aroma is amazing. The brightness is kept to a minimum for us light sensitive pre-caffeinated people, and it just is very welcoming. Whether you hang out in the main dining hall or duck into the cozy lounge, there's a lazy, thoughtful atmosphere, one that begs creativity and thought collaboration. You are treated like you're important, and everyone is relaxed and honest. It's just like being in another world.
So, along with being incredibly inviting, with or without the coffee, anyone who knows me for even 5 minutes, knows how much I LOVE COFFEE. I walk with it, ride with it, carry it, spill it, buy it and I use it to get people together to socialize.
Do I like Thatcher's because I'm I picky about my coffee??? Well, I'm only picky if there is a choice between good coffee and amazing coffee, and Thatcher's is definitely amazing coffee. Now, if it's between crappy coffee WITH LOTS OF CREAMER, or NO coffee... I pick crappy coffee. Crappy coffee with NO creamer??? I don't think so... I'd rather be tired and crabby. I like yummy coffee drip brewed at home, BUT, I'd rather have yummy coffee where I can socialize. I'm more about relationships, the caffeine is secondary, a VERY close second I might add. Since I'm too cheap to buy yummy coffee for home all the time, I usually get... (oh and listen to how warped this is...)....KROGER brand Breakfast blend... BUT rather than leaving it in the tin can, I pour it into an old plastic Folgers's coffee can. Don't ask me why. I just hate the metal I guess. I know... I'm a wacko. Kroger works. It's pretty utilitarian though.
Since I'd rather socialize while I'm coffe-ing up, I like to do a coffee shop coffee a couple of times a week. I don't get the coffee drinks except once in a GREAT while...so I usually just get whatever's the flavor of the day.
I loathe bitter coffee no matter where it is. Starbucks is too cardboard containerish for me and Caribou is too rough and rugged. Panera has good generic coffee. It's dependable. It's just nothing special. Brewsters is pretty good, just too far away, so I guess that leaves Cup O Joe, which I like... it's just too cramped in their dining area. So, as you can see, finding "just another cup of coffee" is a little more complicated than it might seem.
My favorite Thatcher's flavor is Highlander Grogg. It has a wonderful butterscotch flavor that's not too sweet, and it is smooth as anything. My second favorite flavor is The Nutty Scottsman. I love getting the Nutty Scottsman when I'm having a "day". He makes me smile. He doesn't care if I'm in a bad mood. =)
An interesting fact that I learned at Thatcher's is that coffee is DEAD after one month post roasting. Coffee in a can is DEAD. This means that for one month after Thatcher's closes, I will still be able to drink hoards of purchased LIVE coffee, but come my favorite holiday, Groundhog's day, I'll be drinking the dead stuff again. Unless I miraculously find another freshly ground coffee shop. I shudder to even think about such infidelity.
So I lift my cup to my beloved friends who drink coffee with me at Thatcher's. Thank you for the real conversations, thank you J for hanging out in the lounge with me, and hashing out life with me. I know, we'll find another place....we will.
And here's to Mr. Thatcher and all his employees. Thank you for treading water all these months, for being genuine, for working so bloody hard, and for knowing us. We'll miss you.