Cafe 1134
On Thursday morning, a day before the closing of Cafe 1134, many locals made their way into the cafe for a final coffee. Long time barista, Yana Aldridge, chatted and served the line at a record pace while delivering perfect drinks. It seemed like Yana knew most of the patrons as she asked about their biking plans and/or had their coffee ready by the time they reached the register. Pam Aldridge and her daughter Kristin Weygandt have owned Cafe 1134 for fifteen years. Pam’s daughter-in-law and Kristin’s sister-in-law, Yana, works mornings from 5:30 am to 12:30 pm during the week.
The cafe had been listed for sale in November 2019 but many locals were surprised when they saw an announcement posted on Cafe 1134’s website:
“To All Our Loyal Customers For The Last 15 Years We Have Had The Greatest Pleasure Serving You, Making Friends With You And Laughing With You So Many Times!!!
We Have Sold Our Business And A New Concept Will Be Taking Over. Our Last Day Serving You Will Be June 19, 2020.
We Hope You All Remain Safe and Healthy And We Look Forward to Seeing You Around This Amazing Town.
Pam, Kristin & The Entire Staff.”
The Cafe has been a staple in the Coronado community and many Coronado social media groups were flooded with comments expressing sadness at saying goodbye. Yana shares that Cafe 1134 was about the customers, “They became not just customers but friends. I introduced them to their spouses, attended weddings and birthdays. That’s the hardest part of closing, saying goodbye.” As for Parakeet Cafe, Yana says, “It is going to be different, but change is just change. Not good or bad. I’m going to miss my customers and friends. There is a lot of love that goes both ways.”
As for Yana’s next chapter she says, “I am excited for new adventures! I want to take a couple months off but then hopefully my chapter continues in Coronado so I can still see my regulars. Cafe 1134 has always been a place where people could be themselves.”
Cafe 1134 was able to notify staff of the ownership change a few weeks prior to the general public announcement. The options for staff to retain their positions under the new ownership is still under consideration by the incoming business.
Parakeet Cafe
The mug has been passed to Parakeet Cafe to continue to provide great coffee and more! Parakeet Cafe shared their excitement for the opportunity to serve the Coronado community. The popular cafe currently has locations in La Jolla, Little Italy, and Del Mar. They plan to hold a grand opening in the next couple months and be part of Coronado’s summer experience. Parakeet Cafe Coronado will be consistent with their other locations. The will provide a mixed menu full of high end coffees, pastries, and lunch choices.
While they would like to open as soon as possible, Operations Manager Leanna Van Dyk shares, “we are not on too tight of a schedule, knowing how construction can be. We will not be doing a full reconstruction, but will evaluate the space. We are such a visual brand and we are looking forward to getting inside!”
