WICHITA — A challenging economy and increased competition is forcing Caffe Posto to close less than two years after opening near Douglas and Oliver.
“The economy is the biggest part,” co-owner Kay Conklin says.
She and her husband, Cory, and Jacob Liquor Exchange wine director Jamie Stratton opened Caffe Posto in March 2008.
Conklin says not long after that, new competitors like Sugar Sisters Bakery & Cafe and the Donut Whole opened nearby.
“Certainly, they’re all close enough that it affects us,” Conklin says.
Caffe Posto will have normal hours through Saturday. Sunday, it will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with reduced prices on coffee and gelato to say thanks and good-bye to customers.
“We know that something great will come into the neighborhood,” Conklin says. “We’re working with our landlord to try and find someone.”
For now, she says, they’re trying to “exit as gracefully as possible.”
The plan is to “just keep our heads up and smiles on until . . . Sunday.”
29 Comments
Why do business owners blame their failures on the economy or competition instead of just saying they failed? Most business start-ups go out of business within two years.
The economy can be great and competitors can be non-existent and you can still fail. You just ran out of cash, that is the largest factor in closing a business.
This coffee shop was in a trendy part of town, yet they blame it on Sugar Sisters, a mile away, and Donut Whole, almost 4 miles away?
I’ve been there. I’ve started businesses and ran out of cash and had to shut down. Do I blame it on the economy or competition? No. I blame myself and look at the business failure as a lesson and try again in the future.
ict just hit the nail on the head
Makes me very sad; Kay ran a really nice place, with the best coffee in town, a high quality lunch and dessert menu, and snappy baristas. I much prefer Posto to any other coffee bar in town.
I would say that part of the problem is scale. Posto is a tiny place, with indoor seating for only 13 customers or so, in comparison with Donut Whole and Sugar Sisters (whose attitude I don’t like), each of which probably seats three or more times as many customers.
Thanks for hosting your customers in such grand style, Kay, and I wish you all the best.
Too bad they can’t sell wine and use Jamie’s knowledge to incorporate a nice wine bar.
I travel throughout the United States for business and I not only consider myself a coffee junkie but also an aficionado. There is nobody in town that is making coffee like Posto or using the quality of beans either. Having launched many successful businesses over the past 20 years I can honestly say this is the hardest economic time that any business climate has ever endured barring the depression. If the guy that made the first comment was very bright he would have taken into consideration that Starbucks is considered to be a very good business model with much success but even they have not been able to weather this storm of economic stress. I’m guessing he drinks coffee from McDonalds.
No clue why the guy who made the first comment takes it so personal. You would think someone who failed at a business would be compassionate to others in the same quandry.
College Hill will not be the same without Posto.
It’s not entirely fair to say the economy or competition had nothing to do with it…right now times are tight and a lot of people aren’t spending as much on pampering themselves with luxuries like fine coffee drinks. And in a car-based culture like Wichita, a competing business even all the way across town is still competition to look out for. Hats off to Posto for a good, but too short, run.
A lot of little businesses have come and gone, but I am truly sad to see Caffe Posto leave. As a single girl, I eat out alone a lot and because of the comfortable, intimate atmosphere, it was one of the few places I didn’t mind going to by myself. Kay and the baristas always made me feel welcome and appreciated, and the food and coffee was honestly top notch. In my experience with Wichita coffee shops, few have really striven to raise the bar for food as well as coffee, but I know that Caffe Posto never settled for mediocre in either case. Economy be damned, I sincerely hope Kay and the gang won’t stay away for good; they had a really brilliant idea, and Wichita needs more unique, quality places like this. Until then, I think winter will be just a little colder this year without my friends and that delicious homemade sweet potato soup….
Who in their right mind would want to open a business with the climate set in Washington? I for one am cutting back to prepare for another “jimmie carter” era. 21% prime rate and 11% unemployment. We have a chance to change this starting in 2010. Good luck until then.
I hate to see any business go down… its never a good sign.
That said, I have to agree, at least in part, with the first poster above. The reality is that smart businesses that were well positioned going into this economic situation and have made wise choices throughout are still here… they are hurting, certainly, but most are still here.
That said, the economy is a mess and it is not surprising to see even good businesses who are doing everything they know how to do are still failing. Its a sad world right now.
I’m sad to see Caffe Posto go. I use it for business meetings from time to time. Great little place. I think it is funny that some folks want to ignore the economy’s role in Wichita businesses. The economy for small independant businesses is not good, especially if your a ’start-up’. Even some of the local icons (see Latour, Barriers, etc.) are struggling. I hope another business is able to make it work there.
It is true that most small businesses fail. All but one of the posts above are thoughtful and make good points. It was a unique place to go and I will miss it. I can’t pass this opportunity to rag on Sugar Sisters – service is terrible there is absolutely no character to the place. Went there once and that was it. Posto had pleasant service and great ambiance. Oh well. At least I still have the Spice Merchant and my Cuisinart coffee machine. But Posto will be missed by some.
Wow Ictbest, it seems you actually don’t understand how business works.
Let’s analyze your entry:
Why do business’s blame it on the economy?
Well because the economy is the largest factor to whether a business fails and succeeds. Let me simplify it for you. A business could have a perfect model, low expenditures, a great location, a perfect customer base, etc. but if the economy is tanking and there’s no one to spend MONEY at your hot and trendy business then you’ll fail. That’s business 101. This business was situated in a perfect location, I mean they were surrounded by supposed “rich people”, yet the economy took a toll as people realized they couldn’t spend the extra cash for a latte. And thus you see how the vicious cycle of the economy works.
Why complain about competitors?
Well let’s look at Posto’s situation. Posto is a coffee shop and restaurant based business where literally across the street is another cafe in Watermark. Take a block and a half to the left and there’s El Vicino. Go a few blocks east and you bump into even more restaurants. Go west and you hit even more restaurants. I hope you’re getting my point. When a business is based on food and beverages they are literally surrounded by THOUSANDS of restaurants and they are all within a few miles of each other. That’s like asking for a mom and pop shop to open inside of a walmart. It’s almost impossible to succeed.
But overall I think you’re attempting to blame it on the owners. I believe that is a factor. But there are also a million possible personal factors that could have affected their decision. Every business owner must hone up to their own mistakes.Yes they could have done something different and maybe that would have saved the place. But the owners worked with the knowledge they have and tried to do the best they could. I believe that’s what Kay, Cory, and Jamie did. They successfully flagshiped the best coffee shop in town and Wichita should be saddened that they have lost such a quality place.
ictBest–you are anything but the best of ICT. You dilweed dummie, Caffee Posto was one of the best places to grab a sandwich, have a nice cup of coffee (Kay’s Blend is my fav), and meet up with friends, because Posto is like Cheers.
Kay Conklin is one of the nicest, bright-smiling people you’ll ever meet. This is really unfortunate: she ran a good business, networked with lots of people, and I always look forward to seeing her, ’cause I know she’ll brighten my day.
And, FYI, Sugar Sisters does suck. Service is terrible, the sisters verbally beat the crap out of each other in the kitchen (when they’re there), and their scones might as well be triangle hockey pucks. And I don’t go to the Donut Whole. I’m not cool enough to be of the hipster class and the hipster clerks get pissy when you don’t know what kind of nasty cake donut you want right when you walk in.
Goodbye, Posto.
I hear a lot of Arm Chair quarterbacks out there that seem to know everything about business. Have you ever been out on your own in business? Have you ever had the guts to stick your neck out and take some chances? Have you ever written a business plan? I do it for a living and I can tell you NO business had the forsight to write into their recent plans the economy as it sits right now. It’s sad to see any local business go down and I applaud those that have tried and failed and those that have tried and succeeded.
peteydog though Posto was a great little spot, that was so small it almost did not exist. I would think that the size limited sales, esp. in winter.
Posto was great for many reasons, as you can see above. They were social conscious, focusing on things that mattered to people. Kay never backed down from a donation request or a chance to help us out. Vegetarian options, which is still unique for Wichita. They used the highest quality coffee (corsair) and the best pre-made Gelato money can buy. And it turns out, Kay is a pretty good cook. And they spent dearly on their equipment, recognizing the need for a great product and presentation. As a regular, I will admit that my consumption at Posto went down with the economy. Nobody mentioned this yet, but I certainly know I have spent less on “feel good” products and services since the downturn began. And to say they planned this in the worst possible time is idiotic. Hindsite is 20/20…right? If they knew in early 2008 that opening a business would as difficult as it turned out, we’d all be complaining less. Nobody predicted what happened. That’s why so many are suffering now. Hat’s off to a valient effort. They’ll all continue to be successful in their other ventures.
First of all, to Kay and the Caffe Posto family: I am deeply saddened after hearing the news that you are closing. I enjoyed regularly meeting my clients there for coffee and the upbeat atmosphere, or just swinging in for a soy latte to go. You offered exceptional coffee and nosh, outstanding customer service, and ambiance/decor that is reminiscent of a coffee shop in a larger metropolitan area. Kay, thank you for bringing a little bit of Florida to this large “town”, you will truly be missed and I hope to see you reopen, either with the same or any other concept.
Now, to “ictBest”. Where do I begin? I am shocked and appalled that you would spew such venom at the news of a fellow small business owner’s establishment closing. I MIGHT be able to understand had they wronged you in some fashion, which you made no mention of in your comment. Where is the compassion? I, too, am a small business owner who is also in the foodservice industry and yet it is still painful to see all of these restaurants in town closing under duress. Healthy competition is good for business, as people enjoy having choices. I definitely enjoy choosing where I want to have coffee or do any business, for that matter.
And since you’re throwing statistics out into the air, you mentioned that “most business startups go out of business within two years”. Here’s another statistical tidbit for you to take and spew elsewhere: 90% OF RESTAURANTS FAIL IN THEIR FIRST YEAR. Let me break it down for you since understanding obviously is not your strong suit. 9 out of 10 restaurants fail in their first year. Caffe Posto opened in March 2008, so CONGRATULATIONS to them for making it through their first year, and well into the next. In that, they cannot and will not be added to the stats of “first year restaurant failures”.
If you were to re-read the article, the second paragraph states: “The economy is the biggest part,” co-owner Kay Conklin says. That sounds to me as if there were other issues, the economy being the LARGEST part. And whether you want to admit it or not, the economy does play a large part in any business venture’s success. You also say that they just flat “ran out of cash”. I don’t know about your [failed] businesses, but I’m not in business to operate solely on the money that I ALREADY have. I am in business to MAKE money, as is Caffe Posto and any other business, non-profits included. So I am very sorry for you, the ignorant statements that you have launched into the atmosphere, and we the readers of said statements.
Perhaps their doors are closing to SAVE the money that they do have instead of staying in business until they “run out” of money. And since when is College Hill “trendy”. Can anyone help me with that one? I recall attending a 50th Anniversary Celebration at Lincoln Heights not too many weeks ago. Trends come and go, not flourish for 50 plus years. (Did someone say “dillweed”?)
In closing, perhaps you should consider looking inward to ascertain the root cause of YOUR businesses (plural, as in MORE THAN ONE?) failing. Could it be your bitterness and your desire to embitter those around you? Or could your sparkling (NOT!) personality have scared away all of your clientele? Or maybe you stayed in the game until you ran out of money instead of cutting your losses and moving on? And you have the audacity to call yourself “ictBest”? Your screen name and your attitude are definitely oxymoronic.
With that off my chest, thank you Caffe Posto for enriching my coffee-loving life! I hope to see you again soon!
Guess I know where all the English majors hung out, because IctBest just stirred up a bunch of them.
I’ll miss Posto. Up until a few months ago, I lived a few hundred yards straight south of there. Always a great place to walk to.
I know nothing about business, but I will miss Caffe Posto. I liked to go there on my Mom nights out. I love to support local business, but like others have mentioned, I’m not a fan of Sugar Sisters. Their service is very rude! I love coffee and I was very impressed with their French Press!! I know of no one else in town that does that. Caffe Posto, you will be greatly missed!
ekhd, Oeno does a nice french Press, but if I remember right it cost almost as much as a glass of wine! For the posters that say it’s not right to blame the economy…where have you been? I agree with FourBiz-speaking as a business person myself–for those who have never lived it, your opinion doesn’t hold much weight-for those of you who have, how about
some compassion? The economy has quite a bit to do with a business flailing these days-especially where “luxury” items are concerned. You can’t write failure into a business plan. No one “plans” for their sales to take a 50% nosedive, if so no one would ever open a business. And to anyone that opens a business with good intentions-pursuing a dream, creating a legacy, whatever, it’s courageous in the very least.
Hats off to chefdolci. I wanted to say something, but not being in the food industry, wasn’t sure my knowledge would be applicable. Your eloquence far exceeds mine, and your observations were spot on.
No one has mentioned that the intersection at Douglas & Oliver was under construction for what seemed like forever. If the owners of Caffe Posto had known they’d have that to contend with, I’m sure they would’ve changed their plans.
I hope someone will start carrying the line of gelato that Caffe Posto has been serving. Making your gelato in house is not important if it’s not amazingly delicious.
I also hope someone will have the good sense to snap up Kay Conklin. She has a broad set of skills, knowledge & experience, plus integrity, determination & chutzpa. She will be a huge asset to any team she decides to join.
Wait, so you mean I have to factor in economic shifts and competition into a business plan?!?
I thought to open a business in ict you don’t have to know how to run a restaurant, pay your staff/taxes/rent, check to see if someone else has copyrighted your business name, do any market research whatsoever, or make a very good product. I think I’ve seen more businesses open & close after just a year in wichita than in any other city I’ve lived in. The stores that have come & gone in that shopping plaza on douglas&oliver are prime examples (& will probably continue to do be). Your new slogan should be: where businesses go to die.
That said, I was actually excited when CP opened given the state of coffee in Wichita at the time. Went the first week, was underwhelmed & have been disappointed each time since. Their coffee is good if you lower your expectations to wichita standards, but most of their blended & iced drinks were made from a mix. Gelato texture was usually off. Not very authentic. They should reopen as a bakery because their baked goods (lemon bar, please) have always been incredible.
However, it is sad to see a local business fail. When I first moved here I was surprised to see chains or national companies taking a lot of the “best of wichita” awards. A few years in & I realize it’s because many of the locals relly don’t have much to offer (especially when it comes to food & coffee) and the ones who do just aren’t supported by the broader community. The same people who whine when a “local” airplane manufacturer doesn’t get a gov’t contract shop at walmart & eat at mcdonald’s or applebees (when they’re feeling fancy). So it’s hard to mourn the passing of the many local businesses whose owners who really just didn’t know what they were doing in a market that is hesitant to support them even if they did.
Good luck, though, to Kay & to Wichita. And to me, haven’t had a decent coffee since I crossed the kansas border.
Oh, and sugar sisters’ service is horrible. It’s like they have no idea customers would actually want something. I don’t think they’ve solved the mystery of why people keep lining up at their counter & asking for things on their menu. But their coffee is actually better than other shops here (cuz it’s from kc) & they make their drinks from actual ingredients rather than from some powder or gelatinous mix. Mead’s is okay if you can put up w staff & bible studies. The rest of the locals are virtually undrinkable, hence my dependence on starbucks. (Yeah, it sucks too. But at least they’re consistent.)
My wife and I are pretty miserable about this, Kay and her crew have been great and are all hard workers, we hang there quite often. The conduct of a couple of former employees didn’t help the situation at Posto based on rumours I heard. Anyhow, having gotten a pint of gellato for myself and 4 quarts of soup for my wife(our favourites), we’re set to try to ween ourselves off of them before we go cold turkey. I agree with some of the comments about Sugar Sisters and Donut Whole, they just didn’t compare except for their capacity.
The real competition Posto faced in the coffee shop market is Barnes & Noble – there’s three on rock road each with the little coffee shop bit in it and I must admit being able to read your magazine/book (and not buy it) while having a coffee is a tough habit to break. I wish Kay all the best, and I hope some clever entrepeneur can recognise the potential of that little place, snap up Posto as it is and keep it alive!
Correction – There’s only two B&Ns… I forgot they shut the north-most one after Bradley fair opened. Anyway, point is that enjoying ‘free’ literature while paying for mediocre coffee is a tough combination to beat, and as mentioned further up there’s the bookshop opposite to compete with too, though they themselves are up against B&N as well but with a smaller selection of books – I digress. I will miss Posto.
Trapped…
I’m not sure how long you’ve been ‘trapped’ in ict… but wow…
I don’t want to be as judgmental as you, but here goes: You’re a freakin snob with a limited coffee palate and probably a more limited inclination to step out of your locked-in opinion of what is good and what isn’t.
Before I launch… I’ll give ya one thing – Sugar Sisters is pretty bad. However I base that on multiple experiences with their dry cake, lousy service and my perception of their better than thou attitude’
Everyone has an opinion
We too, are transplants. And we have turned a short-term stopover in Ict to a full tour. We have decided to raise our kids in this wonderful community. At first, we were critical – but having a career that has moved me from Paris (two years), NYC (3+ years), L.A. (Santa Monica and H’wood, 10+), San Francisco (raised there)and multiple, multi-month tours in Milan, Dijon,FR and Vienna Austria… I and ‘we’ have learned about tolerance and COFFEE.
There are a number of great places to have a cup of coffee that will rival what I’ve enjoyed in any of those cities. Cafe Moderne, Java Villa, even that place on the corner of Woodlawn and Central has exceptional coffee.
I can’t disagree with some of your observations… but your judgmental attitude just plain sucks. If someone’s ‘night out’ is Applebees – so what? Get over yourself. If they buy their jammies at WalMart? So what? again… get over yourself.
Business owners and entrepreneurs are not any better in other cities. They are not ‘backwoods’ here as you imply. Try that hypo with Jack DeBoer, Devlin, the Carneys, the Kochs, the Colemans and ten dozen others who successfully run regional or national businesses that are based in this horrible place that you trapped.
You will find lousy businesspeople everywhere. they are not exclusive to Wichita. In NY, I watched a space on a corner of 23rd and 9th (Chelsea) in NYC turnover 3 times in 18 months. Ever try to track the businesses that come and go on Lincoln Blvd in Santa Monica? There are a million reasons.
I’m sorry you’re ‘trapped’… such a victim! Two pieces of advice: 1) embrace what is good here (there’s a lot) and quitchurbitchin. 2) Move back to whatever Utopia you came from.
I’m out.
relo,
Don’t worry, I’ve definitely learned to be open minded & settle. But I do think if you’re paying $3-5 a day for coffee, it’s reasonable to expect a certain quality – much like you expect something a bit different from Abuelo’s than you get from Bueno. If you want $1 coffee, you can go to QT or McD’s. That said, I frequent a lot of the locals even though I’m not impressed simply because I prefer to support a local business; and I usually try to find something on their menu that is worth the money.
Sorry you took this personally. I don’t think I was clear – I have no problem with Applebee’s, I like it as much as the next person. I even shop at Walmart sometimes. My complaint was with people who shop/eat at these places exclusively & then complain that Wichita doesn’t have enough jobs/culture/local industry/etc. or despair when local businesses they’ve never visited go under. Certainly CP had its fan club but most people I know had never heard of it & were unwilling to stray far from Rock Road when I suggested it.
My 2nd complaint was with business owners who don’t realize this is the kind of market they’re going into; or fail to account for competition & the economy. That’s like saying you’re late for work because of traffic. You have to plan for this stuff. Given what you observed on those street corners, I’m guessing you wouldn’t open a shop in that location, right? Unfortunately a lot of “entrepreneurs” fail to do even this much research. Take Pink Saloon, which now occupies the space that Frank & Margaret had for around 2 years before going out of business: think it will last?
I do think that, as a previous commenter mentioned, construction may have played a part. I know a few businesses on Central had a hard time & being that in all cities construction projects take twice as long & cost twice as much as budgeted (I think it’s one of Newton’s laws) it is a factor that is difficult to plan for and even more difficult to overcome.
In any case, I am leaving Wichita soon & I really do hope the hipster kids who are all about spreading the “wichita love” prove me wrong & I won’t read about Wichita someday being compared to Dodge City or Detroit. There’s a rising minority of people who want more out of this town than what they’ve been given, and you guys have an uphill road & a stodgy majority of close-minded folks to overcome. I’m hoping the best for you…and if I ever do find coffee utopia, I’ll let ya know.
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