‘Hard pill to swallow’: Old Towne Orange visitors lament business closures

Small businesses such as The Aussie Bean, Growl Juice Pub and Fork & Salad have shut down due to the economic impact of the pandemic. CLARISSE GUEVARRA, Staff Photographer

The dream of any small business is to attract a strong base of loyal customers that will follow them to the edge of the world for their product. For The Aussie Bean, a coffee shop formerly located in Old Towne Orange, Bri Noe, a Chapman University junior dance major, was that model customer.

“If I didn’t go to The Aussie Bean for a day, it was an off day,” Noe said. “They set the standard for me because I know that there’s a lot more love and energy that goes into my drink rather than a mass-market brand.”

Unfortunately for Noe, she had to face some of those off days in the past few months, as The Aussie Bean closed its doors Aug. 31. That’s not the only business in Old Towne Orange that’s had to put up “Sorry, We’re Closed” signs permanently; other establishments such as the Growl Juice Pub and Fork & Salad have shut down as well, during a pandemic that’s crippled small businesses across America. 

Jordan Liebling, a financial adviser at a Thrivent location in Orange County, said it was emotional seeing small businesses in Old Towne Orange close up for good.

“These are small businesses; these aren’t Fortune 500 companies that have huge operating budgets,” Liebling said. “You really see the effects that COVID-19 took on small businesses in the area. You hear about it on the news and everything, but to see it in that mom-and-pop shop in your own community — that’s a hard pill to swallow.”

An Orange resident for nearly ten years, Liebling described Old Towne Orange as his “home away from home.” He took his wife and daughter to The Aussie Bean two to three times a month, he said. The closure was heartbreaking. 

“You can tell there was care taken and very special attention (paid) to the type of coffee they were providing their customers,” Liebling said. “It made the pandemic more real, because that coffee shop is in our backyard.” 

Despite the pandemic’s economic impact, many Orange residents have stepped up in support of beloved establishments. Danielle Kramer, an event planner for Disney, said she loves the old-timey charm of the Old Towne Orange. She even began an Instagram account, @theorangecircleca, to help bring exposure to small businesses within the Orange Paseo.

“Being able to take my love (for) photography and food and put them together to highlight stuff in the Orange (Paseo) makes me excited,” Kramer said. “It feels like such a small town within a metropolitan area, with all the big businesses around it. It’s a nice tight-knit community where people are helping each other and interacting — especially with our small businesses.”

Kramer, who is currently furloughed from her job, said she can personally relate to the unpredictability that these small businesses face. 

“I understand how tight money has been this past year. It’s been crazy to see how fast things change day to day,” Kramer said. “To see (businesses’) hard work being taken away and not being able to have a say or a way to fight back is really frustrating.”

Kramer says that the ability to spread news through word-of-mouth in the tight-knit Orange community is crucial for family businesses surviving post-pandemic. Although there are many changes she wishes could be reversed, Kramer hopes the Orange Paseo keeps access open to pedestrians so customers can continue to enjoy the plaza-esque outdoor dining. 

The Orange’s community has shown it’s determination to stick together, even if a business goes under. While The Aussie Bean was struggling, Noe offered to volunteer her time doing deliveries or working the register, only for the shop to be shut down just a week later. Noe would resort to driving half an hour to their Dana Point location for an iced vanilla latte with oat milk before that location, too, closed. The owners of The Aussie Bean did not respond to The Panther’s request for comment.

“I miss the culture, the ambiance and the community they created,” Noe said. “It was so easy to hang out and meet up with friends there. Even when I go home to Chicago for break, I have actively searched out the place that has the coffee most similar to (The) Aussie Bean.”