There's nothing that compares to the shock of hearing that your favorite cafe was raided by the police. On October 28, Cafe Aficionado was raided by police and shut down on account of the owners Adian Berhane and Clark Donat being charged with conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and money laundering. A resident of Arlington, VA reported numerous attempts to use his credit card in the
This is a huge blow to the DC coffee scene. Cafe Aficionado was known for its amazingly delicious coffee, matcha, and pastries. The shop's attention to detail on everything from latte art to interior decoration made it a wonderful place to visit. That is until the owners steal your credit card information.
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The sudden shut down of Cafe Aficionado leaves DC coffee lovers with a whole host of questions. What will happen to the great baristas that worked here? Were they in on the credit card and money laundering plots? Will someone else take over the Cafe? What about the location that was supposed to open near Watergate?
As coffee lovers, we mourn the loss of this great establishment. Its progressive menu and aesthetically-pleasing atmosphere was a beacon of hope for DC's somewhat bland coffee scene. The only hope now for DC coffee to compete with the likes of New York or Los Angeles is for other coffee shops in the city to push boundaries and create innovative products, hopefully putting DC's coffee scene back on the map.
