GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — What does a cup of coffee cost?
The answer to this question depends on a number of other factors, including the price of beans, milk, and other ingredients, and the price of cups and other dishware. If at a coffee shop or restaurant, the cost of employing staff and the cost of owning or renting the building must also be considered.
At Scorpion Hearts Club on Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids, these financial figures are now more or less available for all to see.
"I wanted to be sure our customers understood that it wasn't me price gouging them or trying to get them to spend more money," owner Lori Slager Wenzel said. "I am not getting rich off of Scorpion Hearts Club."
In a social media post on Tuesday, Slager Wenzel offered a "straight answer" as to why recent reviews of the coffee shop claimed prices were too high.
"Bankers and accountants have told me more than once to close because we don’t turn a big profit," the post read in part. "But their definition of success isn’t the same as mine. Success to me is a space where people meet each other and feel safe and welcome."
"By that measure, we’re wildly successful."
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While larger coffee shops with locations across the country can save money by purchasing ingredients at greater quantities, Slager Wenzel says her shop isn't able to afford the same.
In addition, she says the cost of her ingredients, as well as payroll, has increased.
Financial figures at Scorpion Hearts Club
- Coffee, milk, cups and lids
- Jan. to May 2025
- Less than $9,000 a month
- Jan. to May 2026
- More than $10,000 a month
- Jan. to May 2025
- Payroll
- 2025
- Around $10,000 a month
- 2026
- More than $13,000 a month
- 2025
"I think it helps people trust us a little bit more," Slager Wenzel said about the post.
In transparency, she also found solidarity, as other locally owned coffee shops and restaurants in Grand Rapids and across the country related to the post.
"It's a tight time for everyone," Slager Wenzel said. "I am not the only one."
To best prevent future price increases and protect the community that calls it home, Scorpion Hearts Club will change its hours — Tuesday through Friday, the coffee shop will now close an hour earlier at 4:00 p.m., a change that will take effect on Oct. 13 — and its owner will work behind the bar on the weekends to save on payroll.
"It is a rollercoaster," she said. "But I love it."
October at Scorpion Hearts Club
- Bake Effect Baking Club
- Sunday, Oct. 18, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Journaling Night
- Monday, Oct. 19, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- Collage Night
- Wednesday, Oct. 21, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- Poetry Night
- Tuesday, Oct. 27, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
