10/05/2026
Shane's Coffee: A Closing Letter to Our Community
We write this post with heavy hearts. Shane's Coffee is scaling back operations with the goal of a full closure in the near future. As we enter the cold season, it has become apparent that we cannot weather another storm. The winter weather brings slower foot traffic and fewer opportunities, and despite our best efforts, we cannot sustain our current level of operations. Rising labor and material costs, combined with a lower volume of referrals, have forced us to make the difficult decision to close our doors.
When we founded Shane's Coffee, we set out to make a meaningful community impact. We partnered with the Department of Rehabilitation to train individuals with mental and physical disabilities. While we poured our hearts into this work, we ultimately did not receive the volume of referrals needed to sustain the program. Nevertheless, we are incredibly proud of how far we came and the clients we served. We provided paid opportunities to community members who might have otherwise been overlooked, guiding them to the next step of their employment journeys with tangible skills for their resumes. We set out with a clear mission, and while the business is ending, we successfully fulfilled that mission.
Thank you to the community partners who took a chance on us and believed in our mission. It takes immense trust to send your clients to a new, small business, and we deeply appreciate your support. To our loyal customers: thank you. We know it takes effort to break your daily routine, trust a new business, and keep coming back. You are the reason we made it this far. The relationships and connections we built with you remain some of the most valuable assets we gained during our time running Shane's Coffee. We also extend our gratitude to the community members who funded and helped launch this dream. Without your belief in us, Shane's Coffee would have remained nothing more than a business plan.
Finally, we want to recognize Stephanie Moore, our Manager and Lead Trainer. Stephanie brought an awe-inspiring level of dedication, hard work, and care to our clients. Shane's Coffee simply could not have operated without her. (And don't get us started on her unparalleled trailer driving skills!) If you met Steph on our route, you undoubtedly felt her genuine and kind nature. Thank you, Stephanie.
Ultimately, Shane's Coffee honors the legacy of Shane Rebholtz. His experiences with mental health guided our decisions and our work within the community. We also channeled our own experiences as foster youth into every action we took. By fighting to provide the same employment opportunities to others that were once afforded to us, we brought a 15-year story full circle.
So, what comes next? Effective at the end of the day tomorrow, Shane's Coffee will permanently close our route on Apollo and Challenger Way in Santa Rosa. As we wind down the business and finalize our closure details, we will continue serving the community through local events. This approach allows us to say goodbye to our supporters in person while generating the sales necessary to ensure a smooth transition. We will be at the Santa Clara County Art and W**e Festival this Saturday and Sunday, so if you're a Santa Clara County supporter please come see us! You can also find us at the Grossi Family Farms pumpkin patch in Novato every weekend in October, and we are booking several other events throughout the winter.
To be entirely transparent, our ultimate goal remains a full closure. We are working diligently to meet our outstanding financial obligations, and once we do, we will close our doors permanently. We will keep you updated as that time approaches.
Once again, thank you all. Will and I remain committed to helping our community. We will continue strategizing and finding new ways to put our skills and experiences to good use. Stay tuned for our next chapter.
With love,
Luke, Will, and Stephanie
— The Shane's Coffee Team ☕
