Downtown Cleveland business, Nexus Cafe and Coffeehouse, closes after 6 months

CLEVELAND - Only open six months, a coffee shop in downtown Cleveland has closed its doors for good.

Nexus Café and Coffeehouse first opened at 627 Prospect Avenue on April 2 – just before the grand opening of Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, a few blocks away. The business shut down last week.

This message is posted on the store's website:
"Nexus is sad to announce that we've closed our doors. We appreciate those who supported our business and mission. Thanks for letting us serve you."

A former employee there told NewsChannel5 that there were a lot of reasons for the closing, but revenue was the biggest factor. The worker said the place did not make enough money to get through the fall lull.

Back in February, owner Mickey DeAngelo told NewsChannel5 that he was born in Cleveland, and came back to the city because he had a love for it.

"In the next five years, Cleveland is not going to look anything like it does now. This whole block is changing from here to University Circle -- its resurgence and for us it's a perfect time to come in," DeAngelo said in February.

One mission of the shop will live on, though. A group called " Cleveland I Love You " formed from members of the Gateway Church Downtown, which held services at Nexus. The organization performs community service, like planting 50 trees downtown and more than 5,000 flowers in the Warehouse District, painting a school on the east side and adopting the a housing project.

The Gateway District, where the coffee shop was located, has been in the spotlight since the casino's opening. Empty storefronts have been filling in with restaurants and shops, with the promise that Horseshoe's visitors will become their patrons.

Newly-added businesses include Potbelly Sandwich Shop and The Cleveland Pickle on Euclid Avenue, Tilted Kilt on Prospect and Black Dog Bar and Grill on East 8th Street. Others planning to open soon are J. Gumbo's and Chipotle on Euclid Avenue, as well as Red Steakhouse at the corner of East 4th and Prospect.

Prior to Nexus, 627 Prospect housed a sports bar called "Caddy Shack." There's no word yet what will happen with the space.