The reader feud is over. Both parties packed up and moved on.
The Cowardly (formerly known as the Curious) Theatre left Rogers Park. In the early morning hours a rental truck pulls and up by noon it's empty.
Everything is gone. All that is left is a few dumpsters of left over props in the alley and a set of theatre seats on the sidewalk.
Back to the Reader fued. A couple of months ago the Reader featured a story on Mr. Richard O'Reilly having enough of the crime in the neighborhood. Mr O'Reilly decided to throw in the towel and move out of Rogers Park before a theatre goer or actor got hurt or killed? Plus, attendence wasn't what he planned it to be and parking was hard to find, which he didn't plan either.
The Cocobean Cafe's owner Tom Westgard fired back, sending a letter to the Reader praising Rogers Park, calling Mr. O'Reilly basically a liar and asking him " Where are you, what have you done for the community?"
Mr. O'Reilly fired back with a letter of his own, asking Mr. Westgard the same thing.
Public fueding at it's finest.
With-in a week of the fueding Reader letters, the Cocobean Cafe poured it's last cup of " Joe " and closed the business. Right after it was being billed by DevCorupt North as "one of the in spot businesses" in the Glenwood Art Fair brochures. They even threw a opening fest party, where less than 12 people showed up.
WIth the high crime, too many bills and not enough customers in the one year after the Cocobean Gangbang Beating Party, the Westgards pulled the plug. This was to much to overcome to keep this business going, going, Gone.
DevCorupt North failed again to help promote it's client, but they didn't care, they are mainly funded with taxpayer dollars and government grants.
A month later the Cowardly Theatre closes the curtains for the final performance and is gone too, by Saturday, High Noon.
5 comments:
Thank you Dan for your clinical imput on this subject, well said.
For the record I would like to remind everyone that the Cocoabean Cafe was never owned by Thomas Westgard. The Cocoabean Cafe aka 7007 Glenwood, Inc. is owned by Amy Westgard, President. This information is on file with the Secretary of State.
The business closed in September due to an inability to obtain a small business loan. Yes I probably had a weak business plan and yes I was undercapitalized but my intention was to revive a business that I thought was an important element of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District. I never thought I would be making money hand over fist and knew all along that it would be a small business that would squeak out a small income for me. All I ever wanted was to be part of the community in a positve way. It was never a selfish venture. I took a huge risk, invested all of the money I had to my name, and truely believed that the community would support the cafe.
Unfortunately over the 8 months I was open I was plagued by a lack of support from the community. Despite a circulation of more than 2000 invitations to the kick-off party for the Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival we had a turnout of probably no more than 20 people (it was the same for pretty much every other event we did but our open mic). Not in attendance was pretty much everyone in RP who ever raved about what a great idea it would be for me to buy the cafe. Aside from the lack of turn out for events getting a small business loan wasn't the piece of cake it was made out to be. I was turned down by three lenders. Oh well.
Nearly destitute, My son and I left RP in November to live with my mother in Indiana.
On a positive note our Open mic, Headshrinkers Inc. has moved on to the Heartland Cafe, still every Thursday at 9pm. Hosted by Kate Cullan and Josh Bermont.
One of my biggest supporters was Rene Camargo at DevCorp North. Thanks Rene for all of the time you spent with me :)
Me? I will pick up the pieces of my shattered life and move on hopefully to a job with a paycheck every two weeks and someone else's butt on the line.
Amy Westgard
Future Non-Business Owner
Amy,
What a tear-jerker to read during lunch, I'm so sorry about you closing. I really, really.. really liked your coffee shop. But you already knew that.
I'm sorry that I gave the impression Tom was the single owner of the Cocobean, this was one of my sarcastic jab's at how folks like Tom cover-up the poor situation by claiming Rogers Park is such a wonderful place to do business. He is the one who responded to Mr. O'Reilly's very honest comments.
I know you owned, worked and developed this coffee shop revival, under the most difficult situation known to any "pioneer business owner".
I apologize for misleading people to believe Tom owned the Cocobean and not you.
You will land on your feet again, because you try, where others will not. I miss you in our neighborhood! I hope you stop back for a visit sometime.
And... I still think it was less than 12 people, not 20? 2000 cards and 20 people. That doesn't seem to be an effective mailing list.
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