Santee's Frubble Coffee, Tea and Music Venue to Close

Read more about local business openings and closings

Santee's mom and pop coffee and tea house, deli and music venue known as , which was voted the "" in the 2012 Santee Readers' Choice Poll, is closing its doors soon due to the rough economy.

Frubble released the news on Sunday through their Facebook page:

"The Titanic sank, the Roman Empire fell, R.E.M. broke up and I am sadly announcing the fall of the Frubble Epicness. Frubble will serve it's last drink on July 23, 2012 at 9:59 p.m. It has been an amazing adventure and we have met some incredible people. Thank you all so much for your kindness and support."

Mark Baker, owner of Frubble, said there is a possibility of re-opening.

"There is a strong possibility of a partnership for a Frubble in the future," he carefully, yet optimistically commented.

A final music blowout, the will take place 12-9 p.m. on July 23 featuring a whole lot of local bands. Any shows booked between now and July 23 will still go on.

It's hard to pin down what exactly Frubble is, a coffeehouse, boba tea shop, music venue, local hangout... but it means a lot to many locals as the outpouring of support on the Frubble Facebook page shows.

"A lot of people don't really understand what Frubble means to me or a lot of people. But it is something more than a Boba Shop, or a place to see music at, or a place to hang out. It is like a second home," local musician Ryan Knowles commented on Facebook.

This leaves the , as the lone independent sit-down coffeehouse in Santee, closed in the fall of 2011. Though, the Jungle Gym and Cafe, a family fitness center, playground, deli and coffeehouse is opening at the end of July at 8711 Magnolia Ave.

The local and long-lived is looking for a new home after less than year at Frubble, where they moved after the Friendly Grounds Coffeehouse closed.

"Here we go again; it seems that every time we find a venue that we come to love, the specter of the poor economy raises its ugly head," said open mic leader Tim Woods.

"Mark Baker, the owner, has told us he is exploring other possibilities for an eventual re-opening; in the meantime, we find ourselves homeless for the umpteenth time."

If you have any suggestions for a local venue for the open mic or love Frubble and want to share why, leave a comment.

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