It’s Sunday. Cindy and I and some friends are sitting in the Geneseo Tim Hortons.
I look out at the rain. I look out at someone parked outside AutoZone staring at his truck engine. Something is wrong. The battery? The windshield washer fluid? His life?
We watch all the cars as they leave the Tims’ drive-thru. They’re right outside the widow. My friend Mike Smith, the Realtor, drives by. He waves. We wave back.
A text message shows up on my watch. It’s from Mike. “Does the Coffee Groupreally think they will be able to put Tim Horton's out of business?” he asks.
He’s joking, I think. But the joke has history on his side. Our coffee group has weathered a string of store closures. We show up, but then, almost inevitably, the store closes. We hop to a new
place and then another and another.
It’s not us, it’s them, we tell each other. But it could be us. I worry.
Our coffee group has gathered in Geneseo every morning for more than 30 years, even during the pandemic, when Zoom made it possible. Sociologists say that this adds quality to our lives, fends off loneliness, gives us a sense of belonging.
We’re a disorganized group, one that has decided, as I have written, not to have a name, much less a mission statement. Basically, we show up, chat, argue (civilly) and sometimes make fun of each other. It works. Give it a try.
But if I were a coffeeshop owner, I’m not sure I would invite us in.
We began in the 1990s at the Around Back Café in Geneseo. Owned by Bob Wilcox, it was a wonderful spot on the edge of the SUNY Geneseo campus. There was gossip, laughter, debate.
Eventually, the Around Back closed. Shops do that, we told ourselves.
We moved to Destiny’s Door on Main Street in the village. Again terrific. It closed. Not our fault, we said.
It was on to Geneseo’s first Starbucks. It shut down. Could not have been us.
Muddy Waters closed, as did Bank Street. A pattern emerged.
Over the years, our membership has changed, depleted sometimes by illnesses or moves away from town. The one constant has been closures.
Of course, the other constant has been openings.
Piper Wadsworth, who owned Cosmic Charlie Café along with Jake Caplan, is going to open Bent Wing Bakery and Café on Main Street in Geneseo.
As soon as she opens, we’re heading her way. I’m hoping she lets us in, but I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. As I said, we have history. It isn’t always good.
Remarkable Rochesterian
We wrote recently of this ground-breaking scientist who died on July 7 at age 82. Let’s add his name to our list of Remarkable Rochesterians that can be found at: https://data.democratandchronicle.com/remarkable-rochesterians/.
Dr. Gary Morrow (1944-2026): As a psychologist and researcher at the University of Rochester Medicine Wilmot Cancer Center, he pioneered ways of reducing the side effects of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments, prolonging lives in the process. A native of Geneva, Ontario County, who dealt with his own cancer diagnosis for 16 years, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame and served in the U.S. Navy submarine service before earning a master’s and doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of Rhode Island. During his nearly 50 years at UR Medicine, he brought in $100 million in funding for research and was the recipient of numerous awards.
From his home in Geneseo, Livingston County, retired senior editor Jim Memmott writes Remarkable Rochester about who we were, who we are. He can be reached at jmemmott@gannett.com or write Box 274, Geneseo, NY 14454.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Their coffee shops keep closing. They keep showing up.
