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Beloved local cafe Jim & Patty’s Coffee has started a GoFundMe for $250,000, citing financial stressors that include COVID-era debts, rising costs of doing business, and founder Patty Roberts’ focus on the care of her husband, Jim, prior to his death last year at age 74.
“We’re embarrassed to ask, but we don’t want to say goodbye,” reads an open letter on the GoFundMe page signed by Patty Roberts and her children, Myra, Saul and Patrick. “We want to keep on being your gathering place in this dear city. We want to keep the Black Tiger shakes coming!”
The letter details a few changes the store is making to its hours and pricing at its Beaverton and Northeast Fremont Street locations, including closing at 1 pm every day. The Forest Heights location, owned by a separate entity, is unaffected by these changes.
Jim and Patty Roberts debuted on the Portland coffee scene in 1976, when they opened Coffee Man. They changed its name to Coffee People in 1983 and expanded into a regional chain that became one of Starbucks’ early competitors in the Northwest coffee market. Their 1990 drive-thru venture Motor Moka pioneered a business model for Dutch Bros and Starbucks’ own drive-thru outlets.
Upon his death, Jim Roberts was hailed as a “coffee legend” and a pioneer of Northwest coffee culture.
“We lost our beloved Jim, but his vision still guides us, and Patty is back in the stores,” the letter continues. “Every day our tables are full and the vibes are good. But if we can’t trim overhead and debt soon, we will be forced to close our doors.”
As of Sept. 6, the GoFundMe had raised about $18,000.