Mystery Suitor Soon to be Revealed Will Re-Open Troubled Stephens Library Cafe

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Tom Green County Commissioners Tuesday are set to approve a lease agreement for the Stephens Central Library Cafe during their regular meeting Tuesday.  Who it will be was not revealed in the county's agenda packet. It's a mystery until tomorrow's regular meeting.

The troubled cafe location in the lobby of the Stephens Central Library has been vacant for almost a year.  

As we reported last April, the last renter was Charles Slack whose lease was terminated for lack of lease payments.  

Slack was three months behind on rent and owed $630.  The lease agreement stated that the County could terminate the lease for non-payment of rent.

As of April 10, 2018 Slack was four months behind and owe the County $840.  

County Commissioners terminated the lease and gave Slack 10 days to get out of the building. 

Since April 2018 the Commissioners Court has gone out for proposals several times without success.

Commissioners on May 29, 2018 rejected all proposals to operate the cafe and approved going out for new proposals.

The Library Cafe cannot have a full kitchen because of city fire and safety codes and in the past by contract couldn’t operate outside of library hours which are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and closed on Sunday.  

Food has to be prepared elsewhere and brought in.  Most businesses and offices downtown operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a coffee shop or breakfast type cafe would need to be open earlier to accommodate people who have to be at work at 8 a.m. 

Commissioners and staff have discussed allowing a vendor to operate outside the Library’s hours.  

Back in November, one vendor had submitted a proposal but withdrew it before the bids were scheduled to be awarded earlier last fall.

Tom Green County Commissioners meet at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in the Commissioners Court meeting room on the second floor of the Keyes building downtown.  

The meeting is open to the public.