Once upon a time, in land not so far, far away, a small coffee chain bowed in Pittsburgh.
Adda Coffee & Tea House started with one store, in Shadyside, in 2016. It expanded to three other locations – Downtown, on the North Side and in Garfield.
But late last week, the Trib reports it “abruptly closed” all four locations. The owner cited continual losses since opening. And the pandemic certainly was no help in attempting to turn a profit.
A social media post, also posted at the chain’s four outlets, noted that Adda “tried to stay optimistic” and had “been consistently re-evaluating” its “business model in efforts to keep fulfilling” its “mission.”
“Despite everyone’s best efforts, our monetary reserves are depleted and we need to close our doors,” the notice said.
That is, cost-cutting efforts proved fruitless. Adda told the employees who’ve lost their jobs that they’ll be paid for their scheduled hours through Jan. 21.
Now, the Trib report also cites “some critics” as saying the Adda closing “was a move to undermine labor organizing.” And the Trib adds it “isn’t the first time in the Pittsburgh area [that] coffee shops have closed shortly after workers started labor organizing.”
As with Adda, those shops cited tough financial going. None ever was resurrected.
Adda’s owner denies the attempt to unionize had anything to with the closures. But in the fairy-tale world of organized labor, the hardly critical thinkers have organized themselves into a brainless corner.
Adda apparently never turned a profit in its seven-plus years, belt-tightening measures were of little help and, somehow, the unionista baristas believe that unionizing Adda – and no doubt further raising its cost to do business in the process – somehow, magically and incomprehensibly would have improved Adda’s flagging bottom line?
The only thing being “undermined” here is common sense.
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
