An integral part of the coffee-lovers community across Auburn suddenly closed June 29.
Owners of Cambridge Coffee on College Street closed their doors, turned off the lights and hung a "renovation" sign.
A former employee of Cambridge, who did not want his identity revealed, said the shop is not undergoing aesthetic renovations, but has shut its doors and is considering a different business avenue.
"There's talk about all kinds of new types of businesses coming into this spot," he said. "Some people say it will be a hot dog stand, deli or maybe it will return as a coffee shop. The 'renovations' sign is kind of a smoke screen."
The owners had been vague with their employees and loyal customer base.
"They came in that day and told us that we were closing," the former employee said. "They said there was a huge loss of profit from the beginning of the summer and on. They have always been concerned about the numbers."
Employees of Cambridge are out of the jobs they loved and faithful patrons are out of a coffee-shop home.
"We tried to make it like a home," the former employee said. "There was always such a difference between the businessmen that owned the business and the employees that had their heart in it."
Chris Lock, an Auburn alumni with a degree in graphic design, described Cambridge as a community.
"I loved Cambridge, not because of the coffee, though it was arguably the best in downtown," he said. "I think what I miss the most is the people. It's feels like I've moved away from home a second time."
The Auburn Cambridge Coffee was the last branch of the franchise to still exist.
The business began in Atlanta in 2003, according to the official Cambridge Coffee Web site. The franchise spread to Columbus, Ga., Birmingham and Auburn.
The employee said that since its opening in Auburn, the coffee shop had gathered a flock of regulars.
"I have studied at Cambridge during the past year and especially this summer," said Cody Watts, a senior in rehabilitation services. "It was so close to campus, it was perfect to go and study if I had a break. I liked going there because the coffee was good. It was a great place to study, without being as boring as the library."
Cambridge was more than a coffee shop, it was also a place for local musicians to perform, Watts said.
The store's window was covered in information of local musicians that were playing at Cambridge or around town.
"Visit our Auburn location to experience a coffee bar that combines the best elements of coffee, food, music and atmosphere," the official Cambridge Coffee Web site said.
It had become a venue for artists, an office for people on laptops, and a home for customers and employees.
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