A Victoria cafe owner is about to close her doors and relocate after having to deal with crime, drugs and unwanted patrons bothering her loyal customers.
Java Jo’s Cafe on Douglas Street next to Mayfair Shopping Centre has been operating since 2019 after the owner, Jolanda Machholz, took over the old Serious Coffee.
Since then, Machholz says she has had to battle through a pandemic, paying back her COVID loan and dealing with intoxicated people in and around her restaurant.
Just a few weeks ago, the single mother was robbed right in front of her store, which ultimately made her decide to leave the location.
“It’s just that I am in between four of the shelters and this is smack in the middle of all of them, and it’s just the traffic of people that are extremely high usually…” Machholz told CHEK News.
“It’s kind of a scary scene outside.”
The cafe will be open until Dec. 2. Machholz says she will be opening up a new window service location on Jan. 4, 2024, at the corner of Cook and Johnson streets.
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