'I'm pretty tired': Beloved South Jersey coffee shop announces abrupt closing date

What do Forrest Gump and a local small-biz favorite have in common? Apparently, the length of their run — down to the day.

Covered in stickers, local business cards and eclectic plush seating, Chompsky's Cafe in Wenonah is a quaint place with a loud personality to grab a cup, plug in and do some work, or take your furry friends for a doggy doughnut.

Now, the Mantua Avenue business has abruptly announced a September closing date.

Owner Alex MacPhail shared the news of the fast-approaching shutdown in an email to customers and replicated social media posts.

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"On Friday, September 1st, I will have been running Chompsky's for as long as Forrest Gump ran across America (3 years, 2 months and 14 days)," MacPhail wrote in a Facebook post. An accompanying photo showed Gump, played in the 1994 movie by Tom Hanks, with Chompsky's name attached to his hat.

"It's been a great run. However, 'I'm pretty tired' and ready to move on," he continued.

"If you have any gift cards, please use them before we close," the Aug. 24 post added.

While it may seem like matching Gump's run must've taken years of planning, MacPhail said that the synchronicity was purely coincidental — and a sign that it was time to move on.

"I felt like Forrest Gump, just running. ...You don't know where you're running to," MacPhail explained. When he looked up the movie scene to rewatch it, he realized that the timelines were eerily close, and after pulling out a date calendar it was confirmed that Sept. 1 would be Chompsky's last day.

Showing love for this local spot

When he had originally opened the restaurant, MacPhail has no idea that it would be as successful as it had proven to be.

After moving back to his wife's hometown of Wenonah, the retired Air Force colonel joked that if he was going to live there then it would need to have a coffee shop.

He just didn't initially expect to be the one to open it.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and after deciding to solve an addressed community need, MacPhail said that he'd intended to open up a place for people to come together, and this goal was quickly and unexpectedly successful.

In its first year of introducing food to the menu, Chompsky's, which is named after MacPhail's dog as well as the famous linguist Noam Chomsky, sold 25,000 breakfast sandwiches.

The widespread success also came with its challenges, especially having a small yet chronically bustling kitchen.

While rewarding, the reality was much different than MacPhail's initial idea that he'd be able to hang out, read a book and make some coffee. This running, running, running sensation eventually culminated in timestamping the shop's closing date.

While the announcement and its quirkiness came in typical Chompsky's fashion, commenters were quick to share their heartbreak and disbelief in a collection of Gifs, crying emojis and "nopes."

"I'm deeply saddened, but we will be back multiple times before you close for sure," one user wrote.

"I am devastated," said another with a heartbreak emoji.

Mere hours after the announcement, the shop's patio was filled with adults, teens, children and, of course, furry friends soaking up and savoring the space, and the trend continued into the next day.

What will replace Chompsky's?

Though it is still unclear what will take the place of a beloved community gathering point (and a mean iced chai latte), the owner shared that there are "a few interested parties."

MacPhail shared in an Aug. 25 interview that of the interested parties, it looks like there are intentions to keep the space as a cafe and breakfast location, and more information should be available in the coming weeks.

With a year and a half left at the Mantua Ave business front, MacPhail said that he is in no rush and joked that if he doesn't find the right person, he'll just turn the cafe into his own personal spot to grab a coffee and read a book.

As far as what's next for MacPhail, he says he's looking forward to spending time with his three children and potentially continuing his pursuit of a PhD, as well looking to do something entrepreneurial or in content creation.

Regardless, he plans to keep ownership of the brand and Chompsky's name in case he decides on a resurgence in the future.

MacPhail plans to be present every day "from now until the end" to thank customers for the past three years.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Chompsky's Cafe announces abrupt September closing. What's next?