Charlottesville coffee shop delivers cups to cars in wake of coronavirus outbreak

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A Charlottesville coffee shop is ramping up its efforts to deal with COVID-19 after seeing a dramatic decrease in its bottom line.

Milli Coffee Roasters Owner John Borgquist said sales are down by nearly 50% in the last week. In an effort to boost business, and contribute to social distancing, the shop is now offering a coffee-to-car service.

“For a coffee shop that’s open 16 hours a day - like we are from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. - it’s not sustainable for us to have just 50% of the business. We would have to make serious changes,” Borgquist said. “So this is one of the steps we’re trying to take.”

Customers can order a cup of coffee or another menu item online, drive to Milli Coffee Roasters, and a staff member will deliver the cup to their parked car.

The shop is also taking other precautions due to the coronavirus, including wiping down its doors every hour and switching from ceramic cups to disposable paper products. The owner is also looking into several delivery apps to keep business strong.

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