Popular SLO County coffee shop closes after 28 years. Will it reopen? Here’s what we know
A popular coffee shop in downtown Morro Bay has been closed for more than a month.
Top Dog Coffee Bar, known for its local beverages, spacious back patio and welcoming attitude toward pets, shut its doors at 857 Main St. to complete repairs, according to a note posted on the business’ front door in mid-September.
“Top Dog will be closed temporarily to make improvements,” the handwritten note read. “Thanks for your support.”
Top Dog was last open Sept. 12, according to a social media post by Reddit user Shawnee_Beans, who identified themselves as an employee.
The coffee shop and bar, which opened in 1996, serves coffee, local beer and wine as well as an abundance of pastries and sandwiches.
As of Monday, Oct. 21, the coffeehouse’s website had not been updated to reflect any change in business hours, nor did it state how long renovations could take.
When a Tribune reporter called Top Dog Coffee Bar, the phone number was no longer in service. Emails sent to the establishment bounced.
Dog-friendly coffee shop sees change in ownership
Dustin Blom purchased Top Dog Coffee Bar in early 2022.
Blom marketed the business as a community-oriented space where people and their dogs are prioritized.
“We welcome dogs in our establishment and greet them with tasty treats upon arrival,” Blom wrote on popular review site Yelp.
Yelp named Top Dog one of the top 25 dog park bars to bring your dog in North America in 2022.
That year, community members voted Top Dog the second-best coffee shop in San Luis Obispo County in a poll conducted by The Tribune. Top Dog received nearly 8,000 votes from Tribune readers.
Blom also owns Rescue Me Coffee Co., Top Dog’s sister company.
“We roast all our own coffee through our company Rescue Me Coffee Co. which aids local shelters and global independent coffee farmers with each purchase,” Top Dog said on its website.
As of Monday, Rescue Me Coffee Co. had not responded to email requests for comment on Top Dog’s temporary closure.
Will SLO County coffee shop reopen?
It’s unclear whether Top Dog will be able to reopen at its downtown Morro Bay location.
According to a notice taped to the business’ front door, Top Dog had breached its rental agreement.
The document, signed by landlord Jeanie Van Gronigen, stated that Top Dog did not pay for required trash services.
That caused “a near total stop of all trash services to the premises and exposing (the) landlord to liability for the outstanding charges in the amount of $3,759.72,” the document stated.
The coffee shop also failed to pay $1,500 in rent for the month of October, according the document.
As of Oct. 7, Top Dog was given three days to pay dues and fix violations “or to vacate and surrender possession of the premises,” the document stated.
As of Friday, Oct. 18, all of the coffee shop’s appliances, furniture and menu appeared to be in place.
This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story’s headline gave the wrong number of years the coffee shop has been open. Top Dog Coffee Bar opened 28 years ago in 1996. The error has been corrected.
