In a surprising turn of events, the West Santa Rosa flagship Land and Water Coffee location had to close its doors after a swarm of bees occupied the café. The café at 1301 Cleveland Avenue was reopened a day later, bee-free, following some quick and diligent action by the staff and a local beekeeper.
Co-owner Max Bretzke faced an unusual situation when his establishment became overrun with bees, leading to an immediate closure for the safety of customers and staff. Eater San Francisco reports that Bretzke's team initially noticed a small number of bees. Still, the situation quickly escalated, forcing them to call a bee expert to address the buzzing interlopers. A hive within the café walls had enticed a few thousand bees to visit.
According to a Facebook post by Land and Water Coffee, the business expressed appreciation for the local pollinators while announcing their efforts to collaborate with a beekeeper to relocate the hive safely. This prompted a closure of the Cleveland Ave location, with assurances that the downtown coffee bar remained open for business.
Following the safe relocation of the bees, Land and Water Coffee proactively updated their Facebook followers to announce their re-opening. The coffee shop also thanked their patrons for their patience during the unusual closure. Bretzke retained a sense of good humor about the ordeal, contemplating what to do with the honeycombs left behind potential honey-based weekend drink specials, which were teased.
