Globe Coffee Lounge to Close

For more than 12 years, the called downtown St. Petersburg home.

On Dec. 21, the beloved coffee shop – a hangout for artists and patrons who enjoyed life on the slow track – will close its doors for good.

Owner JoEllen Schilke said the Globe has been a big part of her life, but she is ready for something new.

“There is nothing new here for me right now,” Schilke said. “It’s all the same problems, frustrations, even the same rewards. It’s not interesting to me anymore.”

In November, Schilke took a job with WMNF 88.5 Community Radio as its volunteer and community outreach coordinator.

Since then, she has debated whether to close the store, sell it or keep pulling double duty.

The day before Thanksgiving, her brother unexpectedly passed away in New York. She said she had to now take care of his estate.

“I was still debating if I wanted to do two things,” Schilke said. “Now with taking care of his estate, I know I couldn’t do three.”

Schilke said it was a sign that she should turn her full attention to WMNF, where she’s already been doing a radio show for years.

While multiple people have come to Schilke with interest in buying the Globe, she said she does not want it to continue. She wants this to be the last chapter.

“I didn’t think I would find a buyer, but now I just don’t want to sell it. I want it to be done and complete,” she said. “I’m protecting the Globe. It could turn into something I have no control over.”

The Globe, at 532 1st Ave. North, opened on a whim. Schilke said there was no great inspiration; she just wanted to open a coffee shop.

A friend told her that she should open a nightclub. She suggested a coffee shop. The Globe was born.

“I feel really amazingly lucky that I got to do this,” Schilke said. “It was random when it started, and it’s been pretty random ever since.”

On Wednesday, Dec. 21, the Globe will open for the last time. Schilke will throw a goodbye party for her shop and its patrons. She hopes the loyal folks who've stopped in for years will pay a final call. She also wants to see some old friends she has not heard from in a while.

“I hope that a lot of people who haven’t been here in a long time will come and say goodbye,” she said.

A lot of the art, trinkets and furniture that give the Globe its quirky personality will be going, too. On Dec. 26, Schilke will host a garage sale at the store.

“If anyone wants an electronic turquoise foot massager we have one,” she joked.

Schilke said it is a bittersweet moment, but she’s ready for something new.

“This has been like a crazy detour that I feel really really blessed that I got to do,” she said. “There’s a lot of emotion, but I’m glad it’s over. The Globe couldn’t be anywhere else. Couldn’t be in Largo, New York. It’s a pure St. Pete thing."