Hole in the Wall

The chronicle recently put out a story reporting the closure of Hole in the Wall (HITW) coffee. 

The story outlined the conditions of Hole in the Wall’s closure as described by the health department. Beyond that, nothing more.

Stories like these run just fine without additional reporting. HITW’s owner chose not to comment, so there wasn’t much else for the chronicle to report. 

But the one-sided nature of the story paints an inaccurate, almost shady picture of Hole in the Wall. I wouldn’t blame anyone who walks away from this Chronicle story believing that the neighborhood is better off now that HITW is closed. But I would disagree with them. 

I was Hole in the Wall’s only employee at the time of closure. 
I was there the day the report was made.
And I feel obligated to point out what was lost when HITW closed. (Other than my job.)

Hole in the Wall was a part of the neighborhood in a way that no other coffee shop in San Francisco can be. It was a window that opened into the street. 

The nature of HITW as a coffee shop on the street made it easy to spend time at Hole in the Wall without feeling any pressure to buy a coffee. When neighbors walked past HITW, they also walked through it. Our neighbors were our regulars, our regulars knew our neighbors, and HITW was the place we all crossed paths. 

Now, this meeting place lies dormant. We used to stay open late and play music and drink wine and hang out at Hole in the Wall. I forged real friendships with people who started as regulars of mine. 

And regulars forged their own friendships with one another.

Alberto spun records in the window one night. 

Max built my website for me. 

Shelby gave me her snowboard after it got switched with a much larger man’s during a trip to Tahoe. 

William, Adam, and Chris have started making music together. They play at Chris’ wine shop, Friend of a Friend, the 2nd Sunday of every month. 

All of these people came to Hole in the Wall for the first time, before becoming regulars who preferred to have their coffee at the shop, and eventually becoming friends who stopped by whether they wanted a coffee or not. 

Some of the regulars have started setting up a table and drinking coffee where Hole in the Wall used to be. And that is what this letter is about  — what is missing now that HITW has closed and how we might be able to get it back. And that might be a story worth telling.