Babb's Coffee House owner says downtown construction is slowing business

DOWNTOWN FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – The owner of a local coffee shop is speaking out after saying a nearby construction project has significantly slowed down his business.

Since 2022, construction crews, cranes and heavy machinery can be seen along Main Avenue as downtown Fargo prepares to welcome Bell Bank's new headquarters.

The two-year project is expected to hire more than 300 employees once completed. If construction doesn't finish soon, these new employees, or anyone in the Fargo-Moorhead area, might not have the opportunity to experience Seattle-style coffee.

Parking has become nearly impossible as a section of Broadway is completely closed while crews work on the building. Owner Shawn Gibree says he rents limited parking for customers on that particular street, and its closure is taking a toll on his business.

“On an average day, if we make $1,000, lately we've only made $800. When there’s no construction, our sales are much better,” says Gibree.

Babb's Coffee does not have a drive-thru, and Gibree says its loss of sales is directly related to the lack of parking.

Parking is located directly in front of the store, but is not available to Babb customers. It belongs solely to the Northern Pacific Depot and any violator could be fined or towed.

Thanks to its city center location, parking is usually quite difficult, but this has gotten worse with ongoing construction. Company vans can be seen occupying all the spaces where customers usually park.

“If you can’t park here, you’ll go somewhere else,” Gibree says.

Construction has even affected where he and his employees park. “It’s even difficult for me to get out of it. I pay for the spots behind the building for my employees, but if there's a truck or something there we can't even get to the spots we pay for, it's so frustrating.

Airing his frustrations online, Gibree posted a photo of the construction, letting customers and the community know that they are still open and struggling to return to normal business traffic. This post has since been shared nearly 100 times.

Babb's Coffee has also adjusted its hours to close an hour earlier each day, due to less foot traffic.

Shawn says he understands construction companies also have work to do and there are no hard feelings. “I’m in no way trying to throw them under the bus, it’s just frustrating that my business is suffering.” I bet every business in this area is struggling,” he says.

Borsheim Crane Service LLC, which is currently working on the Bell Bank building, responded to Gibree's Facebook post with this statement:

“We apologize for any inconvenience caused by our crane near Babb's Coffee House. Recent weather conditions have delayed our schedule, requiring coordination from the main contractor and numerous subcontractors. As a subcontractor, we don't get paid and don't have work for our team in case of weather delays, so we are eager to complete this project just like you. We also love visiting this incredible boutique and look forward to the completion of this beautiful renovation in Fargo. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please continue to visit Babb's Coffee House – they are open 7am – 5pm and we will miss seeing you all!

Gibree and other Babb employees hope things will improve once the street reopens.

“I always think I have the best coffee in town…so come get it!” Shawn exclaimed.

Babb's current hours are as follows:

Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Friday: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

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