LANSING — Legislative aides Brendan Johnson and Nick Didocha will have to walk two blocks farther to get their caffeine boosts by next month.

The Ottawa Street Biggby near the Capitol is closing.

Managing Partner Jeff McAlvey signed and posted a letter Wednesday on the door of the franchise at the 120 W. Ottawa St., alerting customers to the shop's permanent closure on June 29.

Colloquially, the location has been called House Biggby for being near the Anderson House Office Building.

"On behalf of my partner Gary Granger and our staff, I want to thank you for your loyal support of the House Biggby," McAlvey wrote. "It has been our privilege and joy to provide the Capitol Community with great service, high-quality Biggby beverages, and a gathering place for almost 23 years."

He was not at the store and not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

In his letter, McAlvey cited a decline in the number of people in downtown Lansing as a reason for the closure and said the store is selling less than half the beverages it did before the pandemic hit in March 2020.

"We just can't make the numbers work," he wrote.

"It's sadness but not a surprise," Johnson said. "We're well aware that we are probably 90% of the clientele with staffers here and then also the lobbying core having meetings here."

Many from the Capitol convene at the location to build rapport with people and have informal meetings. Two people were in the shop late Wednesday meeting over coffee. With only one other customer in the shop, the barista cleaned the counters and made a frozen drink.

Johnson and Didosha have stopped by the shop for coffee if they're running late or to get a midday caffeine fix. They said they adored the location because it promoted a Michigan business right next to where government proceedings take place.

"It's really cool to just look at this building in the context of this whole streetscape," Johnson said. "It's really old. it's got a lot of history in it, and they've done a good job of preserving historical panels on the inside."

McAlvey concluded his letter by thanking customers, managers and baristas for making the location a hot spot downtown.

"We also want to thank our friends and partners at Biggby Coffee. They have the best coffee concept in the country and have worked with us to help us meet the unique needs of our downtown customer base," McAlvey wrote.

He hoped to meet people face-to-face as the location's existence comes to a close.

"Over the next three weeks we want to celebrate the wonderful years the House Biggby has had, and we hope to have a chance to thank many of you for your loyal support in person," McAlvey said.

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Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at 517-267-1344 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.