Romans Left Homeless

Popular coffee shop on The Hill closes after 25 years.

For those who remember spending countless hours studying or playing chess with strangers at Espresso Roma, we have bad news. The 25-year-old coffee shop on The Hill with a distinctly hippie vibe closed at the end of October, citing financial issues. Celebrated and disdained for its Bohemian atmosphere and inexpensive coffee, it was reminiscent of Pearl Street’s Penny Lane that closed in 2005. Espresso Roma patrons, referred to as “Romans,” felt it was one of the last coffee shops where people actually talked with one another, welcoming the homeless and creatives alike.

“This was a place where rich, poor, dirty, clean, mad and wise could meet and speak openly with one another,” wrote one Daily Camera reader online after the shop closed.

Photography by Jeremy Papasso/Daily Camera