Tables turned upside down, empty bookshelves, and a fridge sit in a vacant space recently known to be Vice Versa Coffee & Vinyl Records.
On the door, a printed message for customers reads, “Due to unfortunate circumstances, Vice is permanently closed.”
The coffee shop’s closure came after months of financial hurdles that started in 2023, when the air conditioning unit in the historical building stopped working, said Vice founder Vincent Guerrero.
Guerrero said the coffee shop closed for 45 days because it was too hot for staff and customers to lounge. Later, that summer became known as the warmest summer in San Antonio.
As tenants, Vice was responsible for addressing the faulty air conditioning unit, said Don Thomas, managing partner at St. Paul Square.
When Vice and underground jazz club Versa opened two years ago, the goal was to attract crowds with a unique concept in a niche space. While the business did build a solid clientele base, Guerrero said difficulties keeping up with the $8,000 monthly rent combined with the AC issues led to the coffee shop’s closure on March 31.
Upstairs, Zen Haus and Beauty Haus — a bistro and art space and microspa studio owned by Guerrero’s former business partner Jonabelle Timms — remain open. The sign on the door of the former Vice Versa space invites customers to “Come up to ZenHaus on the second floor, under BeautyHaus, for smoothies, tea, and more!”
Property management called Guerrero on March 28 to inform him Vice needed to vacate the space by April 1 because rent was past due and because of a lease violation that included not adhering to earlier business hours. Guerrero hosted one last underground event on Sunday and thanked the community for supporting Vice Versa Coffee & Vinyl Records.
Zen Haus started serving up natural teas and a “smash,” Timms’ own twist on natural milk smoothies in November 2023. And last week, Zen Haus staff got training to use the espresso machines Guerrero gifted after closing Vice. Guerrero said he hopes redirecting customers to Zen Haus will help keep a steady flow of customers, but with Vice Versa gone, Timms is worried foot traffic will decrease.
Guerrero said Vice Coffee won’t be his last business venture in San Antonio. He has his eyes on a space along Broadway Street. In the meantime, he plans to travel and unplug.
St. Paul Square businesses
“The bar is extremely high” for businesses at St. Paul Square, Timms said. “What’s difficult is that they’re relying on the businesses to build the community, however they’re charging a rate as if the community exists already.”
Vice was located along Heiman Street, facing The Espee and Alamodome, opposite to St. Paul Square’s main corridor on Commerce Street. ZenHaus and BeautyHas are located next to each other, facing the same direction.
Guerrero said there was low foot traffic in the mornings and on weekdays, so he didn’t open the coffeeshop at 6 a.m. Underground events covered expenses when coffee shop income wasn’t enough. Timms has also created a calendar of events. The rest of April includes workshops on crocheting, jewelry making and lamp ceramics; a tarot card reading, an evening with your inner child, and yoga night.
“I realize why [Guerrero] always had these huge events because I need to pay rent somehow, people aren’t walking in on a day-to-day,” Timms said. “If nobody is [walking in], where does the revenue come from?”
Before Vice Coffee, local vegan grocery, Lucy’s Bodega, leased the same space at St. Paul Square, raising the question if businesses can find success at the East Side district.
Despite recent closures, the area is home to a number of bars and restaurants, including Toro Kitchen + Bar, which also owns underground club Cellar Mixology and Cuishe Cocina Mexicana. The same owners will soon open a fourth concept, Boombox Pizza. Francis Bogside will soon expand with a comedy club in the basement, and Suck It Ramen and Sushi expanded last year to add its own mixology concept.
Property owner CBRE Group purchased St. Paul’s Square in 2019, when it was 70% leased, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the space decreased to a 70% vacancy.
It’s currently 80% leased and 70% occupied, and 30% vacant, Thomas said.
“We’re taking a lot of risks with startup businesses and local businesses and it’s not always easy for those businesses to establish themselves long-term,” Thomas said. “But we want to be a local destination.”
Property management plans to have a Fiesta event next year to bring more people to the area and is coordinating with Hemisfair and Centro San Antonio for downtown events and programming to complement other things happening downtown.
“This area hasn’t been successful as a district in the 35 years that I’ve lived here,” Thomas said. He said barriers including the railroad tracks and I-37 separate the district from the center city.
That’s why property management tries to keep rent competitive, “much less” expensive than Southtown, the Pearl and the Quarry, he said. Generally, retail rents at St. Paul Square are around $35 per square foot, he said.
“It’s a different type of project. What we aspire to be is a district that is comparable to … Southtown or the Pearl,” he said.
To get there, it’ll take more foot traffic in the lower density in the district, Thomas said. Timms and Guerrero said they believe it’ll take more parking spaces, more apartments and better marketing.
“Until it’s 100% leased and businesses there are contributing and having success, it’ll be difficult for the district,” Thomas said. “Pearl has a lot more square footage, density around it. Southtown has established neighborhoods that provide traffic for those businesses.”
Looking back, Guerrero admired his ability to form a community at the coffeeshop in a corner with low foot traffic.
“If you can survive here, you can thrive anywhere,” he said.
