Caffeinated Comics closes

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This morning I saw that Caffeinated Comics on Mission and Valencia had shut down as of Dec. 29 after almost 3 years in business. Major bummer. I never got a chance to visit myself, but I was looking forward to getting my fix there since moving to La Lengua last month. Anyone here know what’s up?

Maybe if they would have embedded some holograms and foil plating into the coffee cups and labeled them with “Cup #1, Limited Edition” they could have improved sales. Of course, then no one would drink the actual coffee, they’d just leave it in the polybag.

56 Responses to “Caffeinated Comics closes”

  1. Really? Never even heard of them. But then, Mission Comics and Art is way closer to me, and has been aggressively promoted on Mission Mission more recently than 200-fucking-9. Bit late to cry “oops-a-daisy” now.

  2. tc says:

    It’s your fault guys. You decided to pimp the kraut pong too much and forgot this place.

    • EH says:

      +1

      I only discovered this place a few months ago by chance. Bummer.

    • Vic Wong says:

      Well we DID announce their grand opening and events, but I see your point. I forgot it was my responsibility to send out a weekly reminder of which businesses are still open.

      Hey guys, check out Giant Value on Mission and 22nd. They are still there! But for how long? I guess that’s up to you, dear readers.

  3. LiLo says:

    Even though Mission Comics and Art is a Live Local business and I’m aggressively in their corner, this is still really sad. I thought the model would work better. The Mission has tons of nearly identical coffee shops and I thought comic books was a good differentiator.

    I think MC&A survives because it has lots of easily accessible events (like the Puppykitty art reception this Saturday) that help it build buzz, much more so than Caffeinated. Still, pour one out for the homies.

  4. KC says:

    Damn. Best latte – Four Barrel, done really, really well – gone. I for one will miss them for that. Could care less about the comics, but their lattes were a thing of beauty.

  5. Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable says:

    Oh, that’s a shame, but not terribly surprising. It’s just not a very good location, I think. I’ve been in there a bunch of times over the last couple of years, and usually I’m the only customer there.

  6. postrideburrito says:

    That is a really bad location. I’m over in that area a fair amount, and I didn’t even know it was there.

  7. s. stencil says:

    I’d venture a guess that the prcing and selection of graphic novels and other comic trade paperbacks/hardcovers on Amazon has as much to do with the demise of CC as the foot traffic at Mission & Valencia. Also, though I admit ignorance of the demographics of comic book readers, I’d also guess that a good chunk of the target market isn’t old enough to be drinking much coffee (though I guess they do have parents with them sometimes).

  8. wizzer says:

    this is that area the hipster douche trolls keep calling La lengua.

    nothing but a ratty little corner where mission and valencia come together.

    • Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable says:

      You mean the store was located in La Lengua? Yes, it was.

    • Mission Native says:

      Ah, where the long-lost super-ghetto Taco Bell /KFC once stood.

      Add that shit to your Valencia restaurant corridor, hipsterdouches.

  9. curious G says:

    I hope it becomes a sweet new restaurant for me and my bros to cruise to. Man I love the Valencia restaurant corridor.

  10. Christopher Mullin says:

    THE X-MEN OF COFFEE, BEST IN THE MISSION. Honestly, I blame all of you fad ridden, iPhone 4s toating, bearded lumberjack fixie hipsters for this. *CRY* Flame on if you must, but Caffeinated Comics was a gem. It just wasn’t primo enough for all the trendy, flannel-laden, handcrafted fair-trade trustifarian ninjas. I will concede that their location was perhaps not the greatest, and the owner was a bit grumpy…but the shop itself had a cool vibe and a good comics selection. As I eluded to above they had the BEST COFFEE IN THE MISSON, perhaps all of SF. Why do you ask? #1 Blue Bottle is average, #2 Caffeinated Comics brewed only Four Barrel (which is the best in the known universe), and did so with a FRENCH PRESS daily. This means that the coffee was better than even Four Barrel’s own cups, due to utilizing the most luxurious extraction method ever. Unfortunately just like Wolverine’s Adamantium skeleton, extraction methods and french presses are science and not hype. Ninjas don’t like science. Now everyone must suffer. So Please enjoy your other mission coffee and comics shops, and your single cup pour over brews…just know that they are subpar, and not for mutants.

  11. Skippy says:

    I know the owner, and he left a high-paying job in the corporate sector to start this business b/c comics were his passion. Based on the comments here, it seems like location and lack of knowledge about the business in general were the killers for this business. Maybe the neighborhood needs a more coherent & organized way (not just relying on a few blogs, which are done voluntarily, and with no obligation to completeness & continuity) to promote local business.

    • Mission Native says:

      I went there a few times. The coffee was just so-so. Four barrel or not.

      Also, I would never stop getting my comics at Isotope. James Sime deserves the business. The guy at Caffeinated left me a bit cold.

  12. Matt says:

    I lived near here and went a few times, but the mix of store types was a bit weird. There wasn’t enough seating to make it a full-on coffee shop to hang out in, and it’s hard to browse comics when you are holding a coffee cup in one hand.

    at one point i suggested that he pull some sample comics that weren’t selling or were old or whatever and offer them as free to read in the store with a coffee purchase (i would do this ALL THE TIME) and he looked at me like I had just spit on him. Oh well.

    • Anti-bankster says:

      I would not feel to sorry for the former shop owner. He went back to being an attorney for the firm that does a lot of foreclosure work for Bank of America. So much for his video elsewhere about being anti-Republican. He fits right in with the banksters after all. Watch out, he might be the one to put you out on the street now that he couldn’t make it selling you comics and joe.

  13. GG says:

    That’s a really tough location. I’m in La Lengua all the time, and getting in and out of there by car (both dodging buses and trying to park) is challenging, plus it’s a bit of a walk from other shopping areas like Noe Valley or Cortland. I’m not a comics fan, but I know that I’ve kind of given up on trying to get to Cole Valley Hardware, Zante, and Spicy Bite regularly. I hope the owner is able to move on to bigger and better things, I’m always sad to see a small retail store leave.

    • Mission Native says:

      lol, christ. this post is perfection. Needs a bit about your handcrafted european walking shoes as you dart in and out of your Cayenne, navigating the parking morass of “La Lengua”. NARF NARF

  14. kylem says:

    Didn’t they open at three and close at four? Strange hours don’t get you much regular business.

  15. Becca says:

    Strange. They were totally open yesterday.

  16. dongprop says:

    this is old but
    those artsy comic shops only stay open if they have a huge ebay business keeping them afloat like the desert island guy in brooklyn

  17. Mission Native says:

    La Lengua? Seriously? gtfo with these cutesy nabe names.