The first time I visited Yo’ Cup in downtown Clinton, it was the fall semester of my freshman year. I wasn’t a student at Presbyterian College yet, but I was visiting my sister, a PC alumna who worked at the college at the time, and deciding whether I wanted to transfer and become a Blue Hose. When I sat on the bench outside Yo’ Cup and ate salted caramel frozen yogurt with my sister, I thought to myself, “Yeah, I could see myself here.”

For me and many others, Yo’ Cup has been an integral part of life in Clinton as a college student. On a such a small campus, it’s very important to have a retreat off campus, a place to get away when college life starts to feel a bit restricting, a place to study that isn’t the library, or just a place to re-center over an excellent cup of coffee. Since I transferred to PC freshman year, I’ve stopped to get a latte, yogurt, or a cupcake at Yo’ Cup about three times a week, and I haven’t regretted a penny of it. At Yo’ Cup, I’ve hosted BlueStocking finals parties, I’ve had weekly meetings with one of my favorite professors, and I even used Yo’ Cup cupcakes to cater my hall events when I was a Resident Assistant.

But last week, Yo’ Cup’s owners announced on their Facebook page that the business would close by the end of the month.

“Unfortunately, we have decided that some time in the near future we will be shutting our doors here at Yo’ Cup,” the post read. “We are still hoping that someone may decide that a really cute coffee shop is just what they want for Christmas and a new owner can jump in and keep it going.”

Small businesses in Clinton often close, especially new food and beverage ventures. Personally, I had always hoped that the niche Yo’ Cup filled as a cozy coffee shop would keep business booming for many years (more selfishly, I had hoped it would stay open at least until I graduated), but unless a new owner decides to take on Yo’ Cup, our days with a local coffee shop are numbered.

Perhaps Yo’ Cup’s closure wouldn’t be so disheartening if there was a similar spot in Clinton, but there isn’t. I encourage you all to grab a cup of coffee from Yo’ Cup before finals week comes to a close, and to always do what you can to patronize our local Clinton businesses, because they make the PC experience a far richer one.