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Both locations of Old Town Coffee and Chocolates, a Eureka staple founded in 2002, have abruptly closed, apparently due to financial problems. The café went from the city’s ‘Business of the Year’ to shut down without notice in six years.

On May 1, the popular Old Town shop was closed, with a note on the front door citing the power being out.

“Closed until it comes back on, sorry =(” the note read.

Other businesses in the building did not lose power that Friday. Contributed.

The spot hasn’t reopened since. A couple days later the Henderson Center location closed, too.

One location’s phone line is disconnected, while another goes straight to a full mailbox.

There’s an air of mystery surrounding the closure; the shops are still marked open on Google Maps. The last post on the business’s Instagram account on April 29 describes a “supply chain nightmare,” for buying milk, though doesn’t mention the extended closure.

A phone call and email sent to the owner, Amanda Slinkard, who purchased the business in Sept. 2022, went unreturned before publishing time.

The business appears to have been in a tough financial position for nearly a year.

According to court records, Slinkard last made a payment on a loan for the purchase of the business in June 2025, with a remaining balance of $77,103.80, prompting the former owners to take measures to get the loan to move to default.

The former owners (who did not return an emailed request for comment) offered an extension that would have cut the loan payment in half in July 2025, but did not hear back on the offer. The case has not been settled yet.

On top of this, in 2026, the state informed Slinkard she owed about $73,000 in taxes, according to a lien notice filed with the county.

Social media posts on the business’ accounts over the past few months have sought financial support relating to healthcare expenses and pointed to the spiking cost of doing business.

Susan Bingham, owner of Arrow Property Management, which manages the building at 211 F St, told the Outpost the company has not been notified the business has officially closed.

But signs visible from outside the building point to a longer term closure. Some furniture, knickknacks and art have been removed.

“The coffee shop is a longstanding hub in downtown Eureka. It’s been a treasure for so many years,” Bingham lamented.

She also wanted to dispel any rumors rodents shut down the beloved café.

In May 2025, the restaurant was ordered closed by the health department due to rodent issues, reopening about a week later.

“A local pest control company has been taking care of that issue. There are no rodents at the present,” she said.

Some rumors are circulating of a new owner for at least one location. We’ll report back when we learn more.