UPDATE: Black Iron Coffee Roasters explores options to save shop

HOWELL — While a beloved coffee shop in downtown Howell closed Monday, ownership is exploring options that could see it reopen.

More: Coffee roaster opening new shop in Howell focused on small batches, unique flavors

Black Iron Coffee Roasters shuttered at 119 W. Grand River Ave. — according to an announcement Monday, Dec. 4, on social media.

But owner Kevin Ridge told The Daily on Tuesday he's received interest from a potential partner, and others who might want to purchase the shop.

"There are a lot of question marks whether that's going to happen or not," he said. "All of me wishes for it to stay open, whether it’s me or someone else."

He's considering the potential of having someone else manage day-to-day operations.

"I need to touch base with a couple of attorneys and see what they think," he said.

Ridge, who founded Black Iron several years before opening the brick-and-mortar shop in 2019, specializes in hand roasted artisan craft coffee. He sourced small batches of beans from farms and co-ops around the world and experimented with special blends. The shop also sold baked goods, sandwiches, soups and other items, and hosted live entertainment and artwork.

After posting about the closure, many positive messages from customers rolled in.

"Yesterday, me and my wife were sitting there teary-eyed," Ridge said. "People were telling us it's their favorite place and they would miss it so much. The community has been really, really supportive. I've worked really hard, and to see it headed this direction, it's really hard to take."

He also said it was hard to let employees go.

"We hoped that after getting through the pandemic ... we could keep growing as a company," he wrote on social media. "But with operating costs never giving us a break, we have to stop the bleeding. This has been a really rough year and with debt rising and some lingering health issues, we felt we just couldn’t keep it going."

Ridge told The Daily they weren't able to act quickly enough to save it alone. Ridge is an instructor at Henry Ford College in Dearborn and managed the organization's metallurgy and welding program. But that program has been cancelled.

"I’m waiting to hear back to see if they are going to approve me to do retraining. If not, I’m essentially waiting to see if I need to apply for a new job myself," he said.

Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage

The coffee shop's e-commerce website will remain open for those with gift cards, as Ridge works out what comes next.

He said his favorite part of owning the shop has been "getting to know the community and seeing them rally around us, seeing the same faces because they know we’re quality."

— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at [email protected]. 

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: UPDATE: Black Iron Coffee Roasters explores options to save shop