<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2cfTZv_0vkPrBmX00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2cfTZv_0vkPrBmX00" width="1280" height="960" ><figcaption>Marley Born and Ken Kurita, behind the counter at Little Spot Cafe. Sept. 25, 2024.</figcaption></figure>Little Spot Cafe regulars had their last brew Wednesday at their local joint. Three weeks ago, the cafe’s owner, Ken Kurita, was given a 30-day eviction notice, after 12 years in business. You wouldn’t have guessed that the eclectic cafe on 23rd and South Van Ness was about to close on Wednesday afternoon. A man sat in an armchair reading a book to the toddler in his lap, two teenage girls sat chatting and giggling by the window and a couple of other customers sat working on their laptops. “This week has been hard,” said Kurita, who broke the news to neighbors. “I have had grown men cry in front of me.” The cafe has been operating on this site since 2002. Kurita has been there since 2012.“It’s super sad, but I’m one of the last people leaving,” he added, while taking a swig of pineapple Snapple and wearing a black Little Spot T-shirt.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Fxr8y_0vkPrBmX00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Fxr8y_0vkPrBmX00" width="853" height="640" ><figcaption>Little Spot Cafe was still busy with regulars on its last day. Sept. 25, 2024. Photo by Kelly Waldron.</figcaption></figure>Kurita was born in Tokyo and moved to the United States when he was a kid. The 56-year-old, who used to live nearby and now lives in Oakland, has seen the neighborhood evolve through the dot com bubble, the 2008 recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time he has seen other businesses come and go. “I got to have this during interesting times.”When asked about the reason for the eviction notice, Kurita said he had no concrete answers; it’s an “untenable landlord situation,” he said. Little Spot has always attracted an eclectic group — even dogs before it was commonplace to take your dog into cafes, said Kurita. Some neighbors even started subsidizing a dog treat fund, to pay for all the dog treats he would give out. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1q8m5l_0vkPrBmX00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1q8m5l_0vkPrBmX00" width="853" height="640" ><figcaption>Little Spot Cafe, a 23rd street staple since 2002, closed its doors on Sept. 25, 2024. Photo by Kelly Waldron.</figcaption></figure>Some older folks would come in and fall asleep in the armchairs, he said. “I’d let them sleep.”While most cafes in the neighborhood sell cups of coffee at a going rate of $4 and above, Little Spot has kept its prices low: A small drip coffee is $3, a large one $3.25. They also sold sandwiches, pastries and bagels, all reasonably priced. “I think the sandwiches are cheaper than at Costco,” said Kurita. While Kurita used to hire staff, including high schoolers from John O’Connell, recently it has just been him working there with his partner and step-daughter Marley Born. Kurita said dealing with the city’s administration has been difficult. When business was tough in the summer of 2020, the cafe received a graffiti citation. He said he had also attempted to join the city’s Legacy Business Program, but never heard back on his application. “It’s funny how ephemeral things are,” Kurita said, looking around. The room was still filled with mismatched chairs and nostalgic relics: an old TV, framed photos, Japanese manga books, CDs. He has until Oct. 1 to vacate the space. “What do we have a city for,” Kurita asked, “If nobody can stay?” </div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Little Spot Cafe closes its doors, evicted after 22 years

Little Spot Cafe regulars had their last brew Wednesday at their local joint. Three weeks ago, the cafe’s owner, Ken Kurita, was given a 30-day eviction notice, after 12 years in business. You wouldn’t have guessed that the eclectic cafe on 23rd and South Van Ness was about to...