Coffee shop in CT city teeters on closing. Founders not giving up on ‘neighborhood living room.’

Change is brewing.

Semilla Cafe + Studio — at the forefront of a new wave of coffee shops opening in and around downtown Hartford since the pandemic — is teetering on closing, but its co-founders say they are fighting to keep open their vision for a “neighborhood living room” even if they have to step aside.

The coffee shop and music venue will be getting new operators who plan to beef up Semilla’s breakfast and lunch menu, with a pledge to be open the hours that are listed on the web.

In addition, the shop will soon introduce mobile ordering on its web site, acknowledging that finding parking both on the street and in the lot behind the building at 1283 Main St. is often a problem for patrons.

Semilla is located in a block of historic buildings just north of Dunkin’ Park , the city’s minor league ballpark and the massive North Crossing redevelopment development.

Elijah Hilliman, who co-founded Semilla will Aimee Chambers in 2021 , said Tuesday Semilla’s troubles aren’t tied to growing competition in Hartford’s coffee shop business. Semilla has suffered from its location in the city where it is difficult for pedestrians to navigate.

Both Chambers and Hilliman will be transitioning out of running the coffee shop. Kevin Joiner, an attorney and owner of KBarr, a bar and grill on Park Street, and Sade Erinfolami will take over the cafe’s operations.

Semilla has successfully carved out a niche and vibe, creating a place where Black and brown residents, queer and age-diverse communities would feel welcome to gather for coffee, community and music.

Hilliman said those in the local Hartford community remain ardent supporters of Semilla. But Hilliman said the number of patrons still needs to expand so Semilla can continue to grow and become a financial success.

“Not enough people are coming to Semilla,” Hilliman said. “People hear about it, and they love it. But we’re not getting enough traffic. This area isn’t getting the foot traffic that is needed.”

The promise of redevelopment at both North Crossing and at the Arrowhead Gateway project at the other end of the historic block is still a work in progress. The hope is that the projects will help stitch back together a city torn apart by highway construction in the 1960s and 1970s that severed downtown from Hartford’s northern neighborhoods.

Semilla urged the city of Hartford and the Hartford Parking Authority to develop a viable parking plan that would support small businesses, including those in the block where Semilla is located.

Hilliman, whose family owned La Paloma Sabanera coffee shop on Capitol Avenue, first met Chambers while working as a barista at the Story & Soil coffee shop. Story & Soil is located in the same block where Hilliman’s family business used to be.

Hilliman will be leaving Semilla July 9. Hilliman said he will be concentrating his efforts on Vino Crudo, a natural wine shop in Old Wethersfield.

Chambers, the former city planning director in Hartford, will remain involved in Semilla in the “near term.” Chambers left her post in Hartford in 2023 to become planning and zoning director for the city of Boston.

Fundraisers also are planned, with the first scheduled for August 1 at the shop.

“The beautiful thing is that Aimee and I created something that is so community- and people-driven that people and community still want to see it grow,” Hilliman said. “And that is a special thing.”

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com .