Goodbye Green Bean. We will miss you. Until we meet again.

Friday morning I found out that one of my beloved coffee shops burned to the ground. At roughly 4am, the Green Bean Coffeehouse in Greenwood caught fire. Hours later, it was in total devastation -- the roof has collapsed and all within had seemingly been lost.

I first heard about the fire on the radio that morning. No mention of the Green Bean; rather a short notice stating that 85th St was closed due to a three alarm fire. It wasn't until I received an email from a friend that I learned the tragic news. Since then, I've slowly gathered updates via various posts on Facebook, online articles from local news sources, and information from friends who were there.

For those of you who don't know, the Bean and I had a long history together. A few months after it first opened, I began volunteering there as a barista. I spent two years watching the shop grow into a neighborhood favorite, meeting the locals, and pulling shots of espresso. But most of all, I witnessed the amount of community and love that was fostered in that cozy place. People came in for the lattes and scones, but left with a daily dose of care and hospitality. "Sit long, talk much" wasn't just a decorative quote on the wall -- it was the cafe's mantra.

After the fire, everything in the Green Bean was destroyed. Everything but the soul of the place. Those pieces still live in the hearts of the staff, volunteers and customers of the beloved Bean. Over the next few weeks, I am sure there will be ample discussion on what to do next. I know the community will come together and the legacy of the GB will continue. After all, that is what the Green Bean does. Draw people together.