Lettieri Espresso Bar, a fixture in Yorkville for almost two decades, will close its doors at the end of the week. A press release distributed tonight cites the impending construction of Minto Yorkville Park as the primary culprit for the closure, though visitors to the cafe will also know that the business had seen its better days.

Long one of Yorkville's prime people-watching spots (Sassafraz is directly across the street), the cafe's glory days were in the mid to late 1990s, when the place would be packed from morning until night neighbourhood locals and and baggy-suited business types devouring espresso, panini, and draft beer.

The cafe continued to be popular with its prime location at Bellair and Cumberland, but something changed after owner John Lettieri turned much of his attention to the Hero Certified Burger franchise, which blew up in a way that the cafe concept never did. Still, those who remember 1990s pre-condo Yorkville will still miss the Lettieri of old.

Photo by PJMixer