Basket Beanery to close doors

CLINTON — A shot of caffeine, a pastry and some local gossip — the Basket Beanery on the corner of High and Church streets has provided all those things to downtown visitors for the past 10 years. But owner Fran Oyama is taking the coffeepot off the
burner.

Oyama announced this week the downtown coffee shop will close up by month’s end.

Oyama will take a couple of months off and move her business of specialty food gift baskets and collector’s items online.

Oyama said she couldn’t comment on the reasons for the sudden closure. She rents the space from Oxford Courts, an apartment complex on High Street that also owns about a dozen store fronts on High Street.

“I’ve enjoyed doing this and there are a lot of people who will be sad to see it close and there will be a lot of people that we’ll miss, but we just can’t continue,” Oyama said.

Oyama said she is unsure when the last day will be but come April 1, the Beanery will be gone.

“I will be totally out of here on the last day of the month,” she said.

The Beanery has been a mainstay for downtown workers for the past decade. Aside from Dunkin’ Donuts, it is one of the only non-sit down places in the downtown to grab a cup o’ joe.

It was opened in the late ‘90s by Michael J. Kanala who sold the business to Oyama after running it for five years.

Check back Monday for an update on this story.

(Noah R. Bombard can be reached at nbombard@cnc.com or at 978-365-8040)