05/03/2024
Anthony here. This week marks Volta’s 16th anniversary. In a bittersweet twist, it is also the moment that we realized it is time for Volta to end operations as a cafe. If possible, we will be open through Memorial Day weekend, with a possible wake/closing party on Memorial Day. All plans are provisional, as our ability to remain open depends on staffing.
Why end Volta now? As some of you know, I was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer last year. Over the last six months I’ve been through chemo and several rounds of radiation, and although I have responded to the treatments, the disease has turned my life upside down. The demands of running the cafe and baking program are outpacing my ability to manage along with my disease.
Volta has always been a grand experiment. Together with Janet Kreischer, we made a bet that Gainesville was ready for a new kind of cafe experience, where an obsession with craft and quality would be our guiding principle. Luckily we struck a chord with our customers, from the person passing through town looking for an espresso to the regulars who would try every single coffee on the board, every week.
We didn’t anticipate what an amazing impact Gainesville would have on us. I like to think that in our own way, we became one of the many cultural touchstones that makes Gainesville so interesting. First dates at the shop led to weddings. Bands were formed over cups of Kenyan coffee. Many artists had first shows exhibited on our walls. PechaKucha shined a light on the fascinating depth of our research and fine arts communities. The Descendents dedicated a set at Fest to the shop. Entire books have been written in our cupping corner, and there is even a published epic poem set in Volta.
I will always be proud of the rapport we built with customers and staff, many of whom will be friends for life.
None of our success would have been possible without the epic staff members who shared the same obsessive passion for diving deep into coffee and tea. We had staff competing in the US Barista Championships, traveling the state sweeping latte art throwdowns, and training in cupping with some of the world’s best coffee traders and growers. Staff who left to start their own craft-focused businesses, and staff that left for careers at great coffee companies across the country. I guess I’m most proud that on any given day any customer ordering a cappuccino received the best damn cap you could drink in the US.
There will always be a Volta-sized hole in my heart— but there’s always the possibility that Volta’s spirit will be transformed into something different. We might show up with our Chocolate Guinness Cake at a local market, host pop-up events out of our secret baking space, or cater scones and coffee to your next business meeting. Stay tuned! As Joe Strummer said, the future is unwritten.
