An Elk Grove coffee shop built a community during COVID. Now it’s asking for help to stay open

Jamaar Anderson reached deep in his own pockets to open an independent coffee shop on Bruceville Road three years ago. That year, he saw some success early on providing a space for locals to enjoy espressos and other refreshments, but it wasn’t enough to prepare for what was to come next.

The coronavirus pandemic dealt a serious blow to his young business, compelling a shift to a takeout menu just as he stood up his shop as a community gathering space. He held on, but he says he can’t make it much longer.

Now Anderson is asking his community for help to keep Savvy Coffee open, and perhaps retool it as a restaurant. He recently created a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising $75,000 to ‘Save Savvy House’ from closing down.

“We’re blessed enough to be in this location and do three and a half years, maybe a little bit more,” said Anderson. “The goal is to find a restaurant where I can actually bring people, better food, better quality, better timing on the food, a better experience, and great coffee.”

Anderson, 40, so far has raised about $4,200 toward his goal. “We need to save this place,” one contributor wrote on his fundraising page.

“Never have I been somewhere that appreciated each customer so much,” said Wendy Hoag of Elk Grove, a small business owner. “You’re a wonderful part of the community, regardless of what is next.”

Asking for donations was not Anderson’s first choice. He said he applied for a number of pandemic grants and loans, but ultimately the business did not qualify for those resources.

He had to make a decisions during the pandemic to pay rent or his employees. Anderson chose the latter.

Sacramento businesses ask for help after COVID

Other small businesses that managed to hold on during the pandemic also are asking their customers and fans for help as they navigate a challenging economy marked by record-breaking inflation.

Barrio Coffee, located at 1188 35th Avenue in South Land Park, is a family-run business with a second location downtown. Its owners recently penned a letter to their community and loyal customers saying that they too face financial challenges that could make it difficult for them to keep the doors open.

Barrio launched a Square fundraising page, also with a goal of reaching $75,000, the owners wrote in a letter they posted on their shop. They did not return calls for comment.

The funds would go toward maintaining their full staff of employees, reopening their downtown location, catching up on rent, as well as other financial obligations, Barrio’s owners wrote.

Events at local coffee shops

Both Savvy and Barrio tried to draw customers with regular events, like music and open-mic nights. Anderson hosted speakeasies, pop-up events, yoga sessions, book fairs, networking events, and many other private events in an attempt to bring dollars in to afford rent and keep his staff employed.

Although the events have seen some success, it hasn’t been nearly enough to keep the doors open and that’s one reason he’s thinking of going in a new direction building on the takeout meals that proved popular during the pandemic.

“Coffee sales went down (they) declined dramatically,” said Anderson. “Magically, so food was kind of the answer. We were doing a little foam waffle sandwiches, but I brought a chef in. We started serving breakfast platters and burritos on a breakfast-brunch type of schedule, and it started generating more income because (food) became essential.”

He’s committed to staying in Elk Grove, his hometown, even if he one day has to leave his Bruceville Road location. Using his mother’s favorite phrase, “hindsight, 20/20,” Anderson said he’s confident that the future is brighter than the present.

This story was originally published August 20, 2022 at 5:25 AM.