Big changes are coming to Jobot
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Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios
Jobot Coffee & Bar as you've known it for years is now a thing of the past, but a new era is coming.
Why it matters: Jobot was on the leading edge of Roosevelt Row's transformation, opening as the area was coming into its own as a hip, artsy district.
State of play: Jobot announced on social media last weekend that changes are coming and "some of these changes will be big."
- "This isn't a farewell —it's the beginning of our next chapter."
What they're saying: Owner John Sagasta tells Axios he plans to transform Jobot but doesn't know what the next incarnation will look like.
- Some aspects will remain, he says, such as the coffee, bar and "some type of food element."
- He hasn't decided yet whether the revamped business will keep the Jobot name.
- "I definitely want to elevate the experience," Sagasta says.
Friction point: Jobot has struggled for the past year and the concept "went stale," Sagasta says.
- "It just doesn't have the same magic," he says.
Flashback: Jobot opened its original location in 2010, in an old house on Fifth Street just south of Roosevelt.
- It moved to its current location at Third Street and Roosevelt in 2017.
The intrigue: Roosevelt Row has changed a lot through the years, Sagasta says.
- "We started when there was nothing down there. The building that we're in was a dirt lot when we started down there," he reminisces.
- There was a "do-it-yourself culture" to Roosevelt Row in the early days, he adds — before people started throwing money at multimillion-dollar projects.
What's next: Sagasta expects to decide this week what his new concept will be, and if that happens, an announcement about Jobot's future could come late next week.
- For now, Jobot's doors are closed, which Sagasta hopes won't last longer than 30 days.
The bottom line: "The whole thing's bittersweet. But I feel fortunate that I get to keep moving on and stay in the neighborhood. It's really important for me to still stay connected to this community," Sagasta says.