Hattie’s Cafe in the Summit County Courthouse is more than just a place for lawyers, jurors and family members to grab a cup of coffee or a bite to eat between court proceedings.
The cafe in the courthouse’s basement is a spot where customers might get a valentine from one of the employees or chat about the latest feat — or defeat — of their favorite Cleveland sports team.
“With me, when I was having a bad day, I could talk to the employees,” said defense attorney Jason Wells, a Hattie’s regular. “They would make me laugh or smile. It made the day go by easier.”
Wells is among the many Hattie’s customers who were disappointed to hear the cafe will be leaving the courthouse Dec. 23.
Hattie’s decided to close the cafe, just finishing its sixth year, because it had been struggling and hadn’t improved.
“We were so dependent on the traffic coming through the building,” said Dotty Grexa, Hattie’s vice president of vocational and enterprise services.
Summit County is searching for a new local nonprofit to replace Hattie’s, with the hope of having the provider in the courthouse shortly after the first of the year.
“We do not yet know what direction we will be going,” said Jason Dodson, chief of staff for Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro.
The closure of the courthouse site will leave Hattie’s with only one remaining cafe, a large location in Canal Place, 520 S. Main St. The agency had cafes in 10 locations over the years.
Grexa said the Canal Place site, which serves 600 people a day, provides the agency with ample food-service job training for its employees with developmental disabilities.
“We don’t need as many sites,” she said. “We’re moving people through the program and into the community more quickly.”
Graduates of the training program have been successful. Melissa O’Connell, who worked at the courthouse location, now is employed at Krispy Kreme, where she recently was named Employee of the Month. Another graduate is working at CVS and recently was promoted to be a shift leader, Grexa said.
“Those are wonderful success stories,” she said. “It’s affecting people.”
Six employees are currently working at the courthouse. Grexa said Hattie’s will help them find another training position or a job elsewhere.
“We’re very sad to leave there,” Grexa said of the courthouse. “All the folks in the building have been really supportive. This was a hard decision to make.”
Wells and other Hattie’s customers said they hope the county finds another agency to take over the courthouse cafeteria soon — and that the new vendor provides the same, high level of customer service.
Wells expects a valentine again next year.
“I don’t know what I will do all day,” Wells said, laughing. “Buy a Diet Coke from the vending machine?”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.