Kaahve Coffee Shop on Main Street To Close at Month’s End

Eighteen months after opening on one of downtown New Canaan’s most conspicuous street corners, Kaahve coffee shop at East Avenue and Main Street is closing its doors, the business’s owner said.

Kaahve owner Esref Cezzar, a New Canaanite, said he is closing the coffee shop at Main and East Avenue Sept. 30. Credit: Michael Dinan

New Canaan resident Esref Cezzar said he was deeply grateful for the regulars who patronized Kaahve, though the clientele never rose to a sustainable level.

“There is not enough business, simple as that,” Cezzar told NewCanaanite.com. “And the business we have doesn’t pay the rent.”

Kaahve will close Sept. 30.

Cezzar, a native of Turkey, served Turkish coffee and an assortment of baked goods and sandwiches in a space he renovated extensively after its prior tenant, Ten Thousand Villages, vacated 96 Main St. He employed local kids as baristas, hung locally created art on the walls and hosted local musicians at Kaahve.

“We have a lot of followers, we have a very good customer base that comes here almost every day,” Cezzar said. “I thank them for that. They like our product, they like the coffee. They say they like the place. Without their support, we would have closed six, seven, eight months ago.”

Cezzar said he will look to reopen in a smaller space that perhaps is better positioned to capitalize on foot traffic.

“I am going to look for a place that is in a more busy area, a more crowded area,” he said. “It could be in town but most likely it will be somewhere else. A much smaller place. This is too big—I made a mistake on that.”