Camellia Coffee Roasters opens new cafe at former Peet’s location in downtown Davis
A new coffee shop opened Monday replacing the bustling downtown Davis Peet’s Coffee location, which closed in January after 22 years on E Street.
The new shop, Camellia Coffee Roasters, is the second location for the Sacramento-based roaster. The company is known for its espresso drinks, pastries and breakfast sandwiches.
Peet’s closed the 231 E St. shop on Jan. 30 amid a broader round of store closures by the chain. The Los Angeles Times reported in January that an estimated 27 of Peet’s 283 locations were closing as the company cited a “challenging environment,” including high coffee bean prices. Davis’ other Peet’s Coffee, located in the Marketplace shopping center on West Covell Boulevard, remains open.
The Peet’s was immensely popular with residents, and news of its closure prompted a citizen-led effort to convince the coffee chain to stay. A petition asking the company to keep the location open collected more than 600 signatures in the weeks before the closure.
Camellia Coffee Roasters opened its Sacramento shop near 12th and R streets in 2016. The company signed a lease for the space at on E St. back in April, according to media reports. The company initially hoped to open in late May.
Co-owners Ryan Harden and Rob Watson are excited to be part of downtown Davis, Harden said. The lively neighborhood is a great location for a coffee shop and will be even better when students return to UC Davis in the fall, he said Monday following an Instagram post announcing the cafe’s opening.
The new Camellia Coffee Roasters on E Street is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
