"unprecedented" – our response to COVID-19
"We are living in truly unprecedented times."
With something so vast and unknown, it is hard to know what to feel. Some reach for fear, others reach for mistrust and paranoia. Self-preservation. Some reach for toilet paper.
Many small business have already felt the harsh financial and emotional toll of the COVID-19 outbreak, oftentimes threatening permanent closure and letting employees go, out of necessity.
We are in uncharted territories.
As a coffee business, we've never weathered such storms before.
In spite of this, we still believe we have a choice on how to respond to things, rather than react from emotion. We still have this freedom, and we intend to do good with it.
In this tumultuous and unpredictable time, Souvenir Coffee wants to follow a model contrary to fear and self-preservation. We're taking advantage of the unfamiliarity to be extra creative and innovative in how we support our staff and our neighborhood. We're taking never-before-seen measures to extend care to those who need it most and to foster community in a time defined by isolation.
Currently, we're looking for ways to support healthcare professionals and grocery store workers who are serving us on the frontlines. We're creating a "virtual tip jar" for our staff who rely on tips for their incomes. We're encouraging our regulars to order coffee bags online so they can brew coffee at home.
We hope to continue engaging our community in acts of generosity and selflessness in ways that have been, thus far, unheard of.
It is true – we are living in unprecedented times. We don't know the perfect way. But let us choose to respond in with unparalleled – and unusual – love.
In the face of looming uncertainty, let us be an outpost of hope.
Find out about how you can support Souvenir and get involved with our movement. Listed below are some on-going efforts we've initiated that you can participate in.
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visit us
We are currently open for limited hours (8am-4pm) for our 3084 Claremont Ave location and (8am-1pm) for our 1114 Solano Ave location, strictly adhering to public health guidelines.
We are only offering a take-out service (to-go cups only), with a maximum of two customers in store at a time. We've also included a recommended 15% tip to support our baristas and minimize cash handling. No restrooms available. Contact-less, card payments highly recommended.
Feel free to browse our drink menu online and call our shop number to place a phone order in advance. Orders will be ready for pick-up roughly 5-15 minutes after order is placed.
If you do not feel 100% healthy, please refrain from visiting us in person and consider other options of supporting us.
Claremont Ave: (510) 450-0505
Click here to access the online drink menu.
virtual tip jar
Many of our staff depend heavily on tips for their income, and as a result, are the first to be negatively impacted by the outbreak.
Please consider supporting our baristas by contributing to our virtual tip jar. Every time you would normally buy a coffee at a shop, try leaving that amount in our tip jar instead.
Tip Jar: https://venmo.com/souvenircoffee
Other tip jars: gofundbean.com
coffee bag sales
We are encouraging our customers to take on a ritual of brewing coffee at home. Maybe it's time to start that home barista life.
You can support us by purchasing a bag of coffee online or in-store. For subscriptions, we offer a discount of 10%. To activate your online discount, use the code "HOMEBREW" at checkout.
View our coffee selection here.