East Atlanta coffee shop Hodgepodge Coffee is reportedly closing at the end of the year.

According to an Instagram post from owner Krystle Rodriguez, Hodgepodge is set to close after service on Dec. 31.

“While the past twelve years at the corner of Ormewood and Moreland have been truly indescribable, this corner has also become incredibly desirable, and we simply cannot afford the significant rent hike accompanied with renewing our lease,” Rodriguez says. “Each and every price increase we made in the last two years went directly to the rise in cost of goods and pay increases for the team as we tried to navigate the cost of living crisis in this city.”

Rodriguez adds, “We have tried our damnedest to keep true to our mission while keeping the doors open and lights on, but the reality is that success in this current landscape makes exploitation almost a necessity.

“I know our customers are trying just as hard to survive right now. I don’t have the power to fix that, but as a business owner, I do have a choice of whether or not to participate.”

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Rodriguez “also referenced dealing with health issues and thanked customers for their patronage.”

On Hodgepodge’s website, The AJC’s Yvonne Zusel writes that Rodriguez said her inspiration for opening the coffee shop in early 2012 was to “create an environment where people can go to simply exist, create or connect. The idea of what kind of space it would be changed over time, but the concept was never far from my mind.”

Over the years, Rodriguez also opened Hodgepodge Coffee shops in Reynoldstown and Decatur. Both those locations have since closed. “Plans to open a Hodgepodge in Summerhill near the Georgia State University football stadium have been scrapped,” Zusel reports.

Zusel adds that Rodriguez is also the founder of Leaven, “a collaborative kitchen in Decatur that’s home to several local pop-ups including Sugar Loaf and Knead to Savor.” Read more here.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution contributed to this story

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