Cambridge’s Crema Cafe to Close Later This Month

A 10-year-old cafe in Cambridge’s Harvard Square will close just before the end of the year. Crema Cafe (27 Brattle St.) announced its impending closure on social media, thanking guests for their patronage over the years.

“We are very sad to have to close Crema,” co-founder Liza Shirazi told Eater in an email. “We tried our hardest to secure a new lease here for years but with the changes in management and ownership of the building we were unable to do so.”

Founded by Shirazi and Marley Brush in 2008, Crema Cafe’s two-level setup in Harvard Square has been a destination for coffee and tea, house-made baked goods, sandwiches, and more cafe fare over the past decade. In 2016, Steve “Nookie” Postal of Commonwealth came onboard to help run the cafe after Brush stepped away from operations (though she retains an ownership role), and Postal and Shirazi have also been working to open new cafes under the name Revival (now open in Alewife, coming soon to Davis) and a beer hall called Mothership. Postal has been documenting the process in an occasional column here on Eater Boston.

“Crema will live on in many ways through Revival,” Shirazi said. “We are forever grateful for this community and are really excited to create more neighborhood spots for the local Cambridge community as we have in Alewife and will in Davis in the coming weeks.”

Davis Square’s Revival will open within days of Crema Cafe’s closure. Crema has long been known for its attention to detail with both its coffee and pastries — it uses coffee from local roaster George Howell, along with guest roasters like Tandem and Passenger Coffee. The cafe will remain open for two weeks, with a specific closing date coming just before Christmas.

“With a deep sense of appreciation, pride, and sorrow, we must share with you, our dear friends, and community, that we will be closing,” Crema’s announcement read. “Thank you to each and every one of you who has been a part of this amazing journey. We are humbled and beyond grateful. There is no way to capture all that has been gained from this past decade or truly thank ALL those who have touched or been touched by Crema.”

Update, 12/9/18: Read more from Postal on the closing of Crema and the opening of Revival. Plus, the Globe reports that the Crema replacement will be a coffee company, Bluestone Lane, which has locations in California, New York, and beyond. (It’s based in New York but inspired by Australia.) Some Bluestone Lane locations are full-service cafes with all-day breakfast options as well as lunch and early dinner, while others are counter-service coffee shops with limited food menus; the company hasn’t announced which the Cambridge location will be. The company picked up large minority investment valued at nearly $20 million earlier this year, fueling the expansion to Massachusetts and beyond.

• Crema Cafe in Cambridge’s Harvard Square Is Closing [BRT]
• Crema Cafe Coverage on Eater [EBOS]