FALL RIVER — There’s been little daytime activity at the once-bustling JavaHouse Chew and Brew lately, leaving many to wonder if another eatery has said farewell to South Main Street.
But Keith Parker, who helps manage the business owned by his wife, Kayla, assures that’s not the case.
The cafe, a downtown fixture for roughly six years serving up sandwiches, salads, pastries, coffee and more, closed its doors to breakfast and lunch customers. But there is still life at the space.
Parker said for the past year the couple has shifted focus to private functions at JavaHouse, which opened in early 2016 at 139 S. Main St., the site of the former Cafe Arpeggio.
“That’s what is helping us survive,” he said.
For years, JavaHouse was a frequent stop for hungry visitors and workers in the downtown area who would pop into the shop across from the Fall River Justice Center for a quick bite and conversation.
Parker said the decision to temporarily cease breakfast and lunch operations was not an easy one but they couldn’t argue with numbers.
“What’s happened in the last two years with small businesses in a demographic like Fall River, it’s cheaper to keep it closed,” he said.
JavaHouse remained open for about seven months after COVID hit, before eventually closing, Parker said. They tried to reopen about six months ago but he said they “couldn’t obtain any help and the daily bills exceeded the revenue taken in.”
According to Parker, there were many factors that came into play in charting a new course for JavaHouse.