A Sign Outside Aurora Provisions Today.

Customers frequenting Aurora Provisions, 64 Pine Street, on the west end of Portland were stunned that the popular cafe is closing on Friday, August 31.    Most customers had not heard the news and were stunned to learn that their “go to place” for coffee and pastries would not be there for them much longer.

Other customers were almost as stunned to learn that employees of the 20 year old business were only informed this past Monday that they would no longer have a job after next Friday.  One employee in particular was not in a “good mood” and repeatedly asked to be forgiven for that.  “I’m not in a good mood,” she said repeatedly.  “I don’t have a job, after next week.”

“I think people should be given more than one weeks notice,” said Paddy Kilkain, a patron of Aurora Provisions today.  “”I come in here probably 3 or 4 times a week to get coffee.  I work out of home so this place gives me a good break,” said Chris Capurso.  On the news that employees were informed on Monday that the retail store was closing next week, Capurso said:  “That’s cold.  Everyone else expects two weeks.  That’s a minimum.”

Other comments  were that Melilssa Carr had bought a successful business and ran it into the ground. Others said Carr probably bought the business knowing it was not financially sustainable – so she planned from the start to shift the focus to a catering business and eliminating the retail division.

Owner Melissa Carr did not respond to an email from this blogger for her comment on the closure of a West End tradition.