The Office Coffee Shop, a downtown Royal Oak fixture that blended lattes with laptops, is shutting down for good today, owner Michael Keith announced. The cozy, membership-friendly spot has long doubled as a coworking hub and hangout for freelancers, small teams and brisk morning traffic. Doors will open one last time from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Owner Points to Rising Costs and Sluggish Return to Downtown
Speaking with CBS Detroit, Keith said mounting expenses and a stubborn drop in foot traffic since the pandemic left little choice. He added that conversations about trying to save the business started too late, and that he and his partners looked at options but could not find a realistic way to keep the doors open. According to his comments, the numbers simply stopped making sense.
Regulars Say Goodbye to Their ‘Home’ Away From Home
For many customers, the closure feels less like losing a coffee shop and more like losing a living room. Several regulars told CBS Detroit the space felt like family. "I felt special here. I felt like this was my little home," Sara Izaguirre said. Another longtime customer, Dawne Webber, put it this way: "They know my name. They look out for me. It's almost like family friends." The reaction drives home how much The Office functioned as a neighborhood anchor, not just a place to grab caffeine.
More Than a Latte: What The Office Offered
The Office built its brand around "coffee, coworking and community," stacking traditional cafe fare on top of small-business amenities. According to the business's website, the shop at 402 S Lafayette Ave offered private office rentals, meeting rooms, printing and mail services, alongside a full coffee bar. The site highlights memberships and meeting-space bookings aimed at entrepreneurs and remote workers, services that once helped fuel a steady midday rush before customer flow thinned in recent years.
Closing Taps Into a Bigger Metro Detroit Trend
The shutdown was also flagged in Daily Detroit's local roundup, which noted both the Thursday sendoff and the shop's 11-year run. That lifespan puts The Office in familiar company across Metro Detroit, where small businesses are wrestling with higher costs and a drop in office commuters, particularly in downtown corridors. Local coverage has chronicled a steady trickle of similar closures as owners decide whether to pivot, sell or simply call it a day in the post-pandemic landscape.
The Office will be open Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for regulars and curious passers-by to visit one last time, according to Daily Detroit. Keith has thanked customers for their support as staff prepare to close up for good, and no immediate plan for the Lafayette storefront has been announced.
