OMG! Mall customers lament closure of cafe

Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial
·2 min read
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Leesburg/Lake County residents who enjoy getting their caffeine fix at OMG Coffee Excellence in the Lake Square Mall were surprised to find out that the popular cafe closed on Dec. 29, according to sign posted on entrance.

Leesburg resident and regular customer Bob Condon talked about the closing and expressed his disappointment."Went there today with my wife for a coffee, but it was closed up," Condon told the Daily Commercial via Messenger. "Good coffee and owner, but not enough foot traffic. The space was way too big for the operation."Condon added that even a clerk at the nearby Dunkin Donuts, which also sells coffee, was particularly saddened by the news.

OMG Coffee Excellence offers speciality shakes like the caramel macchiato, signature roasted coffee blends and new luxury cheesecake options at its new location at the Lake Square Mall in Leesburg.
OMG Coffee Excellence offers speciality shakes like the caramel macchiato, signature roasted coffee blends and new luxury cheesecake options at its new location at the Lake Square Mall in Leesburg.

The video posted at the top of this page praised the erstwhile mall cafe and and its inclusion of a pool table, live music and other accents that convey a place to linger and socialize as well as pick up a cup of Joe.Corey (last name withheld), host of CorExplorations, mentions problems with the mall's management of the OMG location. The vlogger above said that he had a conversation with Brown, and Brown told him that he talked to the mall management, "trying to get them to resolve a few different situations that they did need fixed and the mall kept pushing it off — like sewage, air conditioning, which are very, very important in a place where you serve food and coffee."

When reached for comment, Max Parker, general manager of Lake Square Mall, verified that it was OMG's decision to close but had no further comment.

"We at Lake Square Mall wish OMG success at their new location," Parker said.

Back when OMG opened in the mall: Coffee lovers rejoice: This local place has a new and bigger space

The Daily Commercial was unable to reach co-owner Philip Brown to confirm comment attributed to him in video, but he has posted a video on Facebook that serves as an official statement. In the video, Brown claims the Lake Square Mall situation was "untenable." Here's the entire statement:

"It saddens our hearts to announce that we have closed the Leesburg location officially today. We have partnered with Stackd Brownies in Mount Dora at Key Foods Plaza on the corner of Donnelly Street and U.S. 441 as a new location. Stay tuned for the opening date sometime during the first week of January. Thank you for your patience during this transition. We appreciate your continued support and prayers."

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: No more gourmet coffee from OMG Coffee at Lake Square Mall