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Ultimo Coffee in Rittenhouse has permanently closed

After ongoing plumbing problems felled the cafe, its union workers are asking for severance pay and employment offers at other Ultimo locations.

Ultimo Coffee Rittenhouse, in Philadelphia, Thursday, February 29, 2024. Workers at Ultimo Coffee have gone on strike, they are supported by Local 80, Philly's barista union.
Ultimo Coffee Rittenhouse, in Philadelphia, Thursday, February 29, 2024. Workers at Ultimo Coffee have gone on strike, they are supported by Local 80, Philly's barista union.Read moreJessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

Rittenhouse is down a coffee shop as of last week, when Ultimo at 20th and Locust announced it would close permanently due to ongoing plumbing issues that have been affecting the building and its workers since last February. That also means there’s one less unionized coffee shop in Philadelphia.

Owners Aaron and Elizabeth Ultimo informed staff and Local 80, which represents Ultimo’s workers, of the closure on Jan. 14. The Rittenhouse cafe employed seven people and was one of four Ultimo locations, two of which had unions. Operations at Ultimo’s other shops continue as usual.

“Due to the ongoing plumbing repair that needed to be resolved in order for the space to be operational, we had little choice but to close,” Elizabeth Ultimo said in a statement. “We deeply regret the stress and hardship the permanent closure of this location has caused for everyone involved.”

Workers at Ultimo Rittenhouse were almost one year into a three-year contract, according to Kate Lord, a union member and nearly four-year veteran of the coffee shop. “This is a loss for everyone, [the Ultimos] included,” Lord said. “We can all recognize that.”

Workers were on the frontline of the plumbing problem, which Lord said got worse over the course of 11 months, despite temporary fixes by the landlord. (The Ultimos do not own the property at 238 S. 20th St.) “It got to a point where it was just sort of a constant leak onto the sidewalk and into the basement,” Lord said.

The union had publicly aired the ongoing plumbing issue over the past few months, with the Philadelphia Joint Board Workers United posting about unexpected closures on Instagram to raise funds for staffers. The same Instagram account, @phillyworkersunited, posted about the permanent closure last week. It also announced details about a closure agreement proposal the union presented to the owners. Workers are asking for severance pay and continued employment at other Ultimo locations when possible.

“Despite having agreed to meet with us for effects bargaining,” the post read, “the Company gave us no response to any of our proposals and immediately stated that they would ‘get back to us next week.’”

While commenters on the post construed the closure as union-busting — “Oh dang, I guess that’s one less coffee shop I’m visiting around Philly,” one wrote — the owners said the union did not play into this, citing the plumbing problem as the sole cause of the cafe’s demise.

“There’s no other reason that we closed,” Elizabeth Ultimo said.

Lord said the union is focused on making sure employees affected by the closure are taken care of, and that the relationship between the union and the Ultimos had been good — something that makes them want to continue working there.

“A lot of us saw some kind of future at this company, whether that’s immediate or long-term,” she said. “There are a lot of people who are not looking to let go of that anytime soon.”