By Molly Liebergall ’17

On Sunday night, after over two years in business, Westport’s NEAT Coffee and Craft Cocktails, located at 6 Wilton Road, closed its doors permanently.  The Darien location of the Connecticut-based coffee bar and roasting company remains open.

Many are surprised by the sudden closure of the restaurant that Maeson Hayes ’19 believes “definitely had the best grilled cheese in town.”

Staples student Tabby Burke ’19 worked at NEAT for three months and was especially shocked by the news.

“It was all very sudden,” Burke said.  “It seemed as though our business was doing a great job, but behind the curtain, it’s the little things that added up.”

As for the reason for the closure, NEAT Westport general manager Edward Cruz politely declined to comment, citing, “there is nothing that I can disclose without the owner’s consent.”

No matter the cause, there is no doubt that students will deeply miss the shop’s unique style and quality food.

“I was really disappointed,” Leigha Dear ’19 said.  “The food was really good and it had such a nice atmosphere.”  Dear added that she and her friend planned on returning very soon, only to discover that their visit was on NEAT Westport’s final day in business.

Similar to Burke, Janine Atway, another NEAT server, felt that the shop’s working environment was ideal.

“I absolutely loved working there, my coworkers were so amazing and full of life,” she said.  “[There were] good vibes and good laughs every shift. We created a work family and it’s really unfortunate it all had to come to an end so soon.”

Photo used under the Creative Commons License