Next Door: Blue Z Coffeehouse Goes Out of Business

From the outside, nothing appears different with the Blue Z Coffeehouse. But two years after it opened its doors and six months after Sandy Hook's , the Blue Z has shuttered its doors on South Main Street.

"I just couldn't afford to keep it open," owner , said. "It's a tough business. You go in optimistic but very quickly it creeps up on you that it's not working. I should have closed the place up a year ago."

Baluzy said he believed that a lack of kitchen facilities and absence of sandwiches and other fare contributed to the business's demise.

"People came in wanting sandwiches and something of substance," he said, adding that without more to sell than coffee, cupcakes and some other treats, the business became unprofitable.

"I pretty much had a faulty business plan, to put it in a nutshell." Baluzy said. "I had plenty of customers. I didn't have enough items to generate income."

In addition to the coffeehouse lacking a complete kitchen, Baluzy said he was not prepared to cook and sell food, and that left a lot of expenses he could not cover with mostly coffee sales.

The Blue Z closed its doors about three weeks ago, and since then Baluzy has been trying to sell the business, advertising it on Craigslist, which has stirred some interest but no real offers, he said.

The Blue Z's demise has taken some patrons by surprise.

"You drive past it you think they're still in business because the stuff is in there," said singer-song writer Darryl Gregory, who was scheduled to play at the Blue Z on Dec. 11.

Gregory, who was booked to perform with Carla Lynne Hall from New York City, said he plans to open his home at 29 Fawnwood Road for the Dec. 11 "house concert" instead of canceling the performance.

He bemoaned the loss of another arts-friendly coffeehouse in town so soon after .

"There's not a lot of places for acoustic musicians," said Gregory, who frequently played at the Blue Z and Mocha. "It's a sad thing that two have closed."

At the same time, the operators of , said they welcome the arts, hosting shows and providing live music at different times.

"We're still looking for musicians," said Bethany Trazaskos, the manager at Demitasse.

Trazaskos said the shop has a customer following that helped it stay in business, although the owners became worried after nearby restaurant Chao Chi closed its doors.

Chao Chi owner Prasad Chirnomula  but recently, the restaurant closed its doors. Paper signs declaring the place under renovation have been taped over the opening.

Despite fearing a business loss  in connection with the inactivity at Chao Chi, Demitasse, which offers light food fare, has seen a steady flow of customers, Trazaskos said.

"Everyone's been coming back," she said.