Staff Writer Alyse Rovner is passionate about Joe Coffee Company—its amazing lattes, americanos, cappuccinos, etc.—and the incredible people who work there. Joe Coffee Company stores have been temporarily closed in response to COVID-19 and they could use your support. 

Joe Coffee Company has created an employee relief fund to help its employees in need of aid and support. Joe Coffee Company has made a tremendous impact on my Columbia experience thus far, providing great study spots, delicious lattes, amazing conversations, and moreover consistency in my life as a college student. I know that this is an incredibly difficult time for everyone, and I would encourage you to support Joe Coffee Company employees if you are able to. 

Joe Coffee Company (Employee Relief Fund): 

The current Coronavirus crisis has disproportionately impacted the service industry, with restaurants, bars and cafes closing across the country. This has left many thousands of workers without work overnight. Due to the rapid spread of the virus and public health concerns, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close all of our cafes. While we believe this is the best decision we can make for both our staff and our larger community, it puts many of our employees in an extremely vulnerable position.

In response to the sudden financial strain this crisis has put on our staff, we have created an Employee Relief Fund for those in dire need of aid, and are pursuing every possible avenue to support our staff with the limited means we have available in this time of crisis. The loss of hours and tips takes a significant toll on our team members. To that end, we have created a virtual tip jar for those friends – near and far – of Joe Coffee who are able to give back directly to the service workers who have made their days happier, more welcoming, and more caffeinated.

We are aiming to raise $22,000 total for our 20 cafe locations and production and catering teams and are committed to being transparent in the disbursement of these funds, which will go directly to our hourly employees impacted by this crisis.

joes via Bwogstaff