more coffeeshop woes

emma d. and i semi-regularly meet at juan valdez for coffee and a girlfriend catch-up during the workweek. it's a perfect spot because the coffee is very good and it's about halfway between emma and i's offices. even better, although it's a chain, it's a fledgling chain operated by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, with stock preferences going to the Colombian coffee growers and their families. even BETTER, it's across the street from a starbucks- with every customer who walks in to juan valdez, that's, in theory, one less going to starbucks, right?
sadly, just a few years after opening, our beloved juan valdez is closing its doors. on sunday. we met there today for the last time, sitting on our regular stools gazing out at the starbucks across the street and discussing where to go from here. i just think it's sad.
on a lighter note, there's another coffeeshop (independently owned and operated, i think) about halfway between emma and i's works which we should try next time. i hope the coffee is good, but that's not what's important, is it?