Java Grande Appears To Have Closed

The Java Grande in Ellicott City appears to have closed, and it may be replaced by a pottery store that serves coffee.   (Update: See below that it will be replaced by a pottery store.)

I haven't driven past the coffee shop on Rte 40 near Rte 29, but I have heard from a commentor and from one of owners of the Pottery Stop in the same shopping center.  Lisa N. had previously said that the Pottery Stop hoped to take over Java Grande's space.  They were planning to sell coffee, snacks and desserts -- along with the "paint-your-own-pottery" that they do now.  Lisa N. says now that they hope to open in the new space in March.

(Update: You can read the Pottery Stop's announcement here.  They'll run a full coffee shop and aimed to open early in March.  Thanks to Jess for the comment below.)

Java Grande has a Facebook page, so you could follow that to see if they announce other news.

Pottery Stop May Take Over Java Grande

The owners of the Pottery Stop store are negotiating to take over the space now occupied by the Java Grande coffee shop on Rte 40 in Ellicott City, according to a comment to a prior post.

That prior post linked to a Craigslist advertisement that appeared to describe Java Grande and said there was a two-year-old coffee house for sale.  The owner of the Pottery Stop -- a paint-your-own pottery store in the same shopping center -- posted a comment to set the record straight:

The Pottery Stop is in negotiations to move into Java Grande's space after they vacate at the end of January. If we make the move, we will become a paint-your-own pottery studio that also sells coffee, snacks and desserts. What fun! We'll gain much needed elbow room and a truly private party area as well.

For those of you who frequent Java, we hope you'll enjoy The Pottery Stop and Coffee Shop (yes, that'll be the new name...) just as much. Maybe we'll even convince you to paint your own coffee mug.

That's actually a cool touch.  I imagine those (probably mythical) bars where regulars had their own beer steins on the wall.  The Pottery Stop could have a wall where you store your own hand-painted mug.

In all seriousness, I don't enjoy writing about any business that has to close.  Nobody will celebrate if Java Grande closes.  (We watched You've Got Mail over the holidays, and it's awful when Meg Ryan had to close the book store.)  But people should know what's happening, so I try to write what's true.

Want To Buy Java Grande?

The Java Grande coffee shop in Ellicott City may be for sale, at least according to Ken who pointed to the following advertisement on Craigslist:

COFFEE HOUSE FOR SALE. Turn Key Coffee House business for SALE. This beautiful, spacious, 2 year old coffee house is ripe for a new enthusiastic, sales focused owner. This coffee cafe is located on a busy route, at a light in a prime location for thousands of travelers to pass everyday. . . . This coffee house is beautifully decorated with large windows that allows customers to enjoy memorable sun rises and sunsets. . . . For a $229,000 investment, the new owner can simply turn the key and begin a new venture in the coffee business. . . .

The ad doesn't identify the coffee house. Ken's comment says the ad is for Java Grande. Certainly, the description -- Ellicott City, busy route, at a light, large windows -- sounds like Java Grande and not really anything else that comes to mind. I had posted in early December about a commenter who had heard talk about a combination of Java Grande and the pottery shop a few doors down -- although an anonymous comment there said Java Grande wasn't closing.

Click here for my take on coffee shops in Howard County.

Is Java Grande Closing/Moving?

Has anyone heard about changes at Java Grande, the coffee shop on Rte 40 near Rte 29?

Kevin posted a comment on my post about coffee shops in Howard County that he had heard about a combination of Java Grande and the pottery shop a few doors down. Either the coffee equipment would move to the potter stop, or the pottery stop would move into Java Grande.

Anyone know more?

(Update: There is an anonymous comment below that says Java Grande is not closing. I'm unclear if I'm supposed to read into the use of "any time soon" and "right now." I'm probably paying too much attention to the details.)

Coffee Shops in Howard County

I need coffee so badly that I'm a terrible person to ask for recommendations.

I love my morning coffee -- the jolt of caffeine and the ritual of unscrewing my thermos as my work day begins. But that means that I'm not the best customer for Howard County's coffee shops. I'm not a latte guy. I'm 30 miles away most weekdays. And I'm cheap enough to brew my own thermos rather than spend $2 on a cup each morning.

That said, I really like the coffee that I have bought on a tour of coffee shops from Rte 40 to Rte 216, including Java Grande and Bean Hollow in Ellicott City, Mad City, Lakeside and Riverside in Columbia, and Sidamo Coffee & Tea in Fulton. When we ran out of the Pele Plantation beans that we carried home from Hawaii, I went out looking for a Starbucks alternative. Strong flavor, but not bitter, I told each shop. I bought whatever each shop recommend, and I liked them all.