Reports of Big Chair Coffee‘s demise may have been exaggerated. Neighborhood blog And Now, Anacostia on Tuesday published an obit for the long under-served area’s first stand-alone coffee shop. That death notice has since been retracted: “Big Chair is NOT ACTUALLY CLOSED. Sources were mistaken. However, they are still actively looking for a buyer, and this revelation does not explain why they were closed all last week…”

The place was closed this morning, too, when I stopped by around 10:15 a.m. The door was locked; “closed” sign posted. I thought I saw someone inside as I pulled up to park but the figure disappeared as soon as I approached the front door.

Whether or not Big Chair is shuttered for good, the seemingly persistent hours of non-operation nonetheless means that Anacostia residents generally still have to cross the bridge to get a cup of coffee.

Photo by Chris Shott