Blue State Coffee closes all locations

PROVIDENCE – Blue State Coffee, a coffee shop chain that got its start in Rhode Island and expanded into two other states, permanently closed all of its locations late last week.

The first Blue State Coffee opened on Thayer Street in 2004, where the location remained until shuttering on Nov. 17. The chain eventually went on to have nine locations across Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, with the company headquartered in Connecticut.

On Nov. 14, the company announced on social media that all locations would close permanently at the end of the day on Nov. 17.

In response to an interview request, CEO Carolyn Greenspan said in an email statement that the company “is a family business, and it was the right time for the family to make this change.”

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Greenspan, a Brown University graduate, according to a 2018 interview with Social Enterprise Greenhouse, did not immediately respond to additional questions via email, including how many employees were in Rhode Island, and how much notice they were given of the closure.

The chain donated a portion of sales to local nonprofits, and allowed customers to choose from a selection of organizations which nonprofit their purchase would benefit. Since its opening, the company says it has donated more than $1,000,000 to local nonprofits.

Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.

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