This story was originally produced by Manchester InkLink. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Eighty Eight Coffee, formerly known to many in the community as its memorable previous alias the Local Moose, is facing a rapid and unexpected closure pushed by the city’s seizure of the property on Queen City Avenue under eminent domain.
The curbside property, identified by the small white building nestled just before the Queen City Bridge, has now become the grounds of a Manchester sewer proposal, the Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel Project, integral to the infrastructure and environmental safety of the area. The proposed plan seeks to buy out the family-owned business for the parcel of land it sits upon in use for a proposed sewer system overhaul to prevent the overflow of sewage into the Merrimack River, which currently sees 220 million gallons of raw sewage dumped by overflow annually.
Business owners and brothers Marc Lee and Corey Tong along with Tong's wife, Natalia Umpierrez-Tong say the warning signs began rising over the horizon almost two years ago, when they were approached by the city in January of 2023 with the possibility of the plan. Simultaneously, the city approached their parents at their residence with a similar proposal for an easement across the property their home sits upon in another area of the city, for another wastewater overhaul project. Marc explains how the events put the family in a “really bad position,” left to their own devices to combat the city’s imposition on two fronts into both their business and their personal lives.
Above: A letter received by Marc Lee and Corey Tong from the city in February informing them of its intention to initiate eminent domain. A list of acquisitions and easements can be found here.
The easement of their parents' home was eventually forgone, leaving them bouncing in limbo cooperating with appraisals and negotiations of the property until recently. The family were told if they rejected the city’s offers for the property, that the city would move forward seizing the property with eminent domain; at which point the city gave them 30 days to accept their final offer. Current plans and proposals on record only give the family until mid-October to relinquish the property, shuttering their business and effectively sacrificing their means of support with little assistance or guidance from the city.
A rather small plot of land, the piece of property originally entered the family two generations ago as an investment securing intergenerational wealth and opportunity for the BIPOC family. The shop remains an important cornerstone for many people of color in the city and now faces a precarious fate among a seemingly ever-dwindling list of BIPOC owned small businesses populating the rich tapestry of Manchester. Purchased by Marc’s parents in 1999, their intent for the property was always to pass the investment along to their children as a nest egg for the future. The shop is often populated by all three generations of the family playing, working, and babysitting.
It was in 2015 that Marc, his brother Corey and Corey’s wife, Natalia, opened what was formerly known as the Local Moose, beginning the transformation into the space it has become today. The cutting-edge cafe draws a loyal clientele due to their unique, creative menu offerings often inspired by the owners own cultural heritage. With both drink specials and baked goods often pulling from Asian flavor profiles, including Chinese and Vietnamese influences, the shop’s specialty nature has made loyal fans of many of the city’s caffeine heads and so called ‘foodies’ alike. Eighty Eight prides itself on their scratch made bread and baked goods, as well as their in-house roastery offering single origin beans sourced from across the globe with expansive and refined flavor notes for coffee enjoyers of any kind.
Eighty Eight’s centralized location adjacent to Elm Street has made it a community hub and favorite spot for many in the neighborhood. A small business in the truest sense of the term, the cafe has always been owned and operated by Lee and his family. The business saw a brief closure during the summer of 2022, during which time the business underwent a rebrand and business model overhaul focusing on dialing in a high quality third wave coffee experience unlike anything the community had to offer. Their new name, Eighty Eight, holds significance in Chinese numerology, where eight is considered one of the most positive and ‘lucky’ numbers, doubled up for extra luck, happiness, and wealth.Eminent Domain, protected by the Fifth Amendment, allows private property to be seized for public use, provided that the local or federal government provides citizens with “just compensation” for the fair market value of the land. The complicated process of appraisal to determine said compensation considers the dimensions and unique aspects of the land, and attempts to compare sales of similar properties in the market to create a rate proposal. It does not account for things such as sentimental value or other abstract points of interest, making litigations on nostalgic and economically significant family properties like these complex to navigate.
With construction not slated to begin until early 2025, the timeline provided to the family seeks to vacate the property almost four months before the earliest possibility of the project’s groundbreaking.
Property acquisition contracts and negotiations began in mid-spring of this year, with three other undisclosed properties facing eminent domain in the area. The Cemetery Drain Brook sewer overflow project seeks to construct a large-scale tunnel across an expanse of over two miles throughout the city, hoping to improve water quality within the Merrimack. No timeline is provided for the duration of the project, although information from the Department of Sewer and Stormwater webpage assures that the new tunnel system will “eliminate construction disruptions to residents, businesses, and traffic while significantly decreasing construction time.”
The family expresses confusion over why their particular property was chosen over several other vacant properties along the road. Alderman Pat Long says that his vote for the project was impacted by knowledge of what property would be taken. “I asked if any private property would be included in any Eminent Domain; the response was no.”
Community members and patrons of Eighty Eight have begun organizing their efforts to support the family throughout this process. Patrons are organizing a group to speak out on behalf of the business at the next public board of Alderman meeting, currently slotted just two days before the current deadline for the property on October 15. Many community members have rallied in an attempt to connect the family with alternative properties and assistance in moving or adapting the business to a new location. Marc says that the biggest help people can extend at this time is spreading the word.
“Tell a friend, share our story. Contact your alderman, contact the mayor, ask why,” Marc said. The support and camaraderie is welcome during the difficult process. “We’ve definitely gained some extended family in the city.”
Marc, Corey and family are taking the time to enjoy seeing their regular customers and continue the business while they still can. Patronage is appreciated as the family tries to make back losses from the legal proceedings surrounding the property dispute.
“We’ve been putting any profit of the business right back into a lawyer to defend ourselves in the case,” says Marc. The last day for Eighty Eight Coffee Company, located at 124 Queen City Ave, to respond to the city’s advances before the effects of eminent domain is currently slated for October 18.
These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
