Street 14 Café to close
Dec. 14—Street 14 Café, a popular coffee shop and restaurant for over a decade on Commercial Street, is closing.
The cafe's last day will be Sunday. Micha Lattek, the owner of Street 14, cited changes in his personal and family life in his decision to shut down.
"I felt very fortunate that I got to pick my job on any given day, week or month and learn something about what it's like to run a small business and a restaurant in a rural community," Lattek said. "That's a privilege that I recognize as such. It was definitely a big challenge at the time and I'm thankful for what I've learned and the connections I've made."
Lattek, who took over Street 14 after moving from Berlin, Germany, in 2012, said he felt he has outgrown Astoria.
"I've lived in cities most of my life," he said. "That was an interesting chapter in my life to move from big city to small town on the Oregon Coast, and I liked it until I didn't — until I started missing city life."
Lattek tried to run the cafe remotely, but said it was a challenge.
The cafe, opened in 2009 by Denise Heckes, evolved over the years in the food it offered. For a year-and-a-half, Andrew Catalano, an award-winning chef, teamed with the cafe to feature farm-to-table dinners, but the venture ended in 2017.
Joe Barnes, a developer, bought the building that houses the Commodore Hotel and the cafe on 14th Street in 2019. Selina, a hospitality company, took over management of the hotel and acts as a property manager for the space.
Lattek has sold the cafe's equipment to the management company, but did not give any insight into what the company's vision might be for the space.
Some employees at Street 14 have expressed frustration over the cafe's closing, saying that short notice was given.
Kike Gonzalez, a supervisor at the hotel, said the company has plans to put in another restaurant and that it would be similar to Street 14.
Selina has listed a job opening for a food and beverage manager on their website.
In July, a dispute played out over a parklet that Street 14 created outside the cafe against the orders of the city. Shortly after its construction, the city demanded it be taken down.
Lattek said he may explore opening another business in Portland.
