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After 30 years of serving cups of espresso to Cambridge, Darwin’s Ltd. is about to shut all 4 places within the coming weeks.
Breaking the news of the closure via social media, homeowners Steven and Isabel Darwin stated they’ve determined to retire from this line of labor. Darwin’s will shutter its doorways on the flagship Mount Auburn retailer on Nov. 22. Cut-off dates for the remaining three places — Putnam Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue and Cambridge Avenue — have but to be decided by the union.
“We thank the 1000’s of workers, prospects and the Metropolis of Cambridge for permitting and supporting the 30-year expertise & success of our family-owned enterprise,” homeowners Steven and Isabel Darwin stated within the assertion.
Reactions to the information have been combined. For some prospects and employees, the announcement of Darwin’s closing got here eerily near negotiations between union, Darwin’s United, and homeowners following the push for unionization within the firm.
“I used to be actually enthusiastic about listening to in regards to the collective bargaining settlement final 12 months, and I am somewhat nervous that they’ve introduced the closure proper when that settlement was reached a number of months after,” stated Jacob Cantor, a patron at Darwin’s Putnam Avenue. He added that this choice “would not set a terrific tone” for labor efforts at different cafes within the area.
Darwin’s United shaped in September 2021 following a petition being filed by nearly 40 staff. The union demaded a “dwelling wage” of $24 per hour, “inclusive, inexpensive, zero deductible” medical health insurance, and at the very least three weeks of paid day without work. Negotiations between the union and homeowners started in November 2021, in keeping with the Union’s twitter, however an settlement had but to be reached.
Sam Swedberg, a barista at Darwin’s Putnam Avenue location and member of Darwin’s United’s motion committee, believed the union was near reaching an settlement with the homeowners. He was dissatisfied however unsurprised by the announcement that the shops have been closing.
“Hire is extraordinarily excessive right here, and to have thought for a second that there could be a change [and] you may be capable to assume past the verify for this month’s lease … it is simply gone now,” he stated.
Swedberg stated he instantly started worrying about how he and his coworkers would make their rents with solely severances being doled out amid the vacation season.
Throughout coversations between the union and proprietor Steven Darwin, Swedberg grew to become conscious of the homeowners’ intent to shutter the Mount Auburn location, nevertheless he anticipated that might not occur for a number of extra years.
“He had stated at first, ‘D-One is out’ [referring to Darwin’s first location] and we have been attempting to save lots of D1 — possibly not the shop itself, however the jobs,” Swedberg stated.
After solely two months of the job, Swedberg discovered of his shedding via the union. He stated staff from different shops took over the bar on the Putnam Avenue location whereas union representatives took workers to the again and relayed the information — merely an hour after Darwin had visited the shop and stated hi there to employees.
“You are simply anticipated to listen to that information, return out entrance and all of a sudden you are making drinks, you take orders,” he stated. “[Someone says] ‘Hey, the way you doing at the moment?’ Like, ‘Oh, I am doing nice, I simply discovered that I am getting laid off in December after spending a month looking for this job.’”
Steven Darwin was unable to be reached for touch upon this text.
Regarding the bigger push for unionization within the espresso trade, Swedberg hopes Darwin’s closure doesn’t deter the combat regionally.
“I hope they do not have a look at Darwin’s and say, ‘Oh, all of them misplaced their jobs, we’re not going to do so much there,” he stated.
Exterior of union issues, patrons have been unhappy to see their beloved espresso store go. Solar-jung Yum, a lifelong Cambridge resident, grew up going to Darwin’s, frequenting the Cambridge Avenue location all through highschool. When she discovered the information, she was shocked, feeling as if it “got here out of nowhere.”
“I by no means actually imagined that it could simply not be there,” she stated.
Dave Iannetta, who has additionally been going to Darwin’s for years — first the Mount Auburn location, then the Massachusetts Avenue one — stated the closure shall be a loss for the neighborhood.
“I’ve lived in Cambridge for 16 years, and so they’ve at all times been round,” he stated.
Liz Neisloss contributed reporting.
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