06/17/16 — Bad Dog Coffee Works closes

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Bad Dog Coffee Works closes

By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on June 17, 2016 1:46 PM

Bad Dog Coffee Works, a downtown hangout with open mic and vinyl record nights, is now closed after operating a year from its East Walnut Street location.

Owner Parker Croom said he enjoyed the business and atmosphere it offered the city and downtown area.

"We're just ready to move on to something else," Croom said. "It was fun. We had fun. We really wanted a spot for kids to come out and not be judged. We had it a year, over a year we did good."

He wanted a larger building to expand the business, at 102 E. Walnut St. With the closing, Croom said he will likely return to work as a private investigator.

He said he'll still consider downtown as a possible location for a business in the future.

"We had a great time," he said. "Everyone was great. It was the fact that we didn't have enough space for what we wanted to do. We wanted to do something bigger.

"When it came down to it, (I decided to) step back and make plans for something else. We were just ready to step back and take a look at downtown."

The business previously applied for a city ABC permit, which involved a building safety review for alcohol sales, said Allen Anderson Jr., Goldsboro chief building inspector. The permit was approved in July 2015.

Croom also secured a conditional use permit for the sale of craft beer, but plans to sell beer onsite never materialized.

Kathy Cornelison, owner of Carolina Pine Country Store on South Center Street, said the coffee shop added to the business mix in downtown.

"I'm sad to see them go," she said. "I thought they had an exciting business model and potential. While they were there, I was excited to have them."