Updated Jan. 21
The beloved coffee shop Mocha Mott’s, which has been an institution and meeting place for Islanders for more than 20 years, officially closed its Vineyard Haven location last Sunday, then hosted a free coffee and baked goods event to thank the Island community for their support the following day.
The coffee shop is joining the ranks of Island Music and Leslie’s Pharmacy — all decades-long businesses in Vineyard Haven that have shuttered in recent memory. Other businesses have cited their reason for closure as the increases, seen Island-wide, in rent prices for a downtown storefront, with the cost to buy breaching a couple of million dollars. Some businesses have downsized, closed altogether, or switched to seasonal hours due to the high costs. Mocha Mott’s, though part of the trend of recent closures, is moving on for another common reason: retirement.
Mocha’s Motts in Oak Bluffs will stay in business and reopen in April, but people from across the Island showed up to the “customer appreciation day” on Monday to say goodbye to the coffee shop in Vineyard Haven. Many hollered “See you next April!” tidings to the staff. Tears were shed, and hugs were held for longer than usual. Songs were sung and poems were read. Dogs waited outside for a free bone, while owners got their “usual” for the last time. The staff, many of whom have been employed by Mott’s for more than a decade, expressed gratitude for their regulars.
“I did not think that the community was going to react the way that they did,” co-owner of Mocha Mott’s Meredith Aldrich said. Aldrich is buying co-owner Tim Dobel out of the business in Oak Bluffs by selling the Vineyard Haven location so that Dobel, who is now 76, can retire. She said the last day was bittersweet, and a mix of emotions was on display from customers, staff, and herself, but that there was an “outpouring of love.”
“At the end of the day, it’s just the building,” Aldrich pointed out. “What makes Mocha Mott’s, Mocha Mott’s, is the people who work there and the customers who come in, and that’s not changing. Our vibe is still going to be our vibe. Our people are still going to be our people. And so that’s not really like an ending, it’s a new beginning, and I’m really excited for that.”
On Monday, coffee was given as freely as the embraces and long conversations.
“Coming to work is not like going to work,” barista Olivia Sipperly said from across the counter. “It’s like going to hang out with your friends and see your family … I’ll miss it.”
Matthew Mara and Barbara Lampson sat in one of the red-cushioned booths with their last Vineyard Haven coffee and reminisced about 20 years of service.
“I’ve been coming here since they opened — and the two coffee shops before that,” Mara said. “So hopefully the next one will be just as good, but you never know. It’s always different.”
The proposed buyer of the building, which includes a basement and upstairs apartments, and the smoke shop next door, is Toccopuro, a coffee shop with locations in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. At their other locations, they serve specialty coffee, breakfast and lunch, and bubble tea. A representative of Toccopuro couldn’t be reached for comment, and they haven’t publicly announced their plans for the Mocha Mott’s location. Although the official sale for the building is scheduled for Jan. 30, the shop is closing early to clean out the space and have it ready for the new owners by that time.
“I can’t really speak to what’s happening in the future, because I don’t really know what the new owner’s plans are, but I’m assuming it’s going to involve coffee,” Aldrich said.
The transition for Mocha Mott’s was announced in September, when co-owner Dobel said he planned to retire from the business and sell it entirely to his business partner, Aldrich.
15 Main St. went on the market this fall after Aldrich chose the Oak Bluffs location, at 10 Circuit Ave., as the coffee shop’s only permanent space going forward.
In an interview with The Times, Hallie MacCormack, a longtime employee of Mocha Mott’s, spoke about the community of Island residents and visitors who she and other employees have served for many years and said she was looking forward to the next chapter.
“We love everyone very, very much,” MacCormack expressed. “We will see everyone in April. Thank you everyone for being loyal and amazing, and making us who we are as a coffee shop.”
Aldrich said they will keep Mocha Mott’s in Oak Bluffs open for longer, extending their season from April to January instead of closing fully in the off-season. With recent year-round business closures in Oak Bluffs such as Philip’s Hardware and Linda Jean’s, the coffee shop will be one of the few open locations in the winter months for the down-Island town.
Aldrich said the changes to the towns aren’t necessarily unusual — she’s seen a lot of businesses open and close through the past few decades — but the reasons this time around seem more financially driven than before. It’s unsurprisingly expensive to run a business on the Vineyard, but renting makes that even more unsustainable for many entrepreneurs.
“You have to really own the property,” Aldrich said as she compared the year she purchased Mott’s to this year, when she’s seen storefronts come and go. But although change is happening at the coffee shop, Aldrich said a lot is staying the same.
“I’m planning on continuing that same vibe where there’ll be music; and you’ll see the same familiar faces; you’ll still be able to get Cape Cod bagels; I’ll still do organic, fair trade coffee. We’re not changing that at all. I’m keeping my same purveyors and everything, and increasing my season a little bit. I think this will be good for the community.”
Editor’s note: Updated to include interviews and details from Monday’s Customer Appreciation Day.
Hopefully handicap access willl be added
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