CafZ Trio, West Philadelphia's own piece of bohemia, closed its doors yesterday for the last time. According to customers, the loss of CafZ Trio -- an independent coffee house featuring espresso, tea, sandwiches and soups plus a relaxing study environment -- will be a loss for the community. At 9:00 last night, loyal customers were still patronizing the local hangout at 411 S. 40th Street before its final closing at 10 p.m. CafZ Trio owner Nam Nguyen, who bought the shop -- formerly known as Chimes CafZ -- five years ago, said he is ending the business for several reasons, including the onslaught of larger coffee chains to campus, the departure of a trusted manager and the drain of running his other venture -- the Last Drop coffee house at 13th and Pine streets. "I couldn't hold on to it," Nguyen said yesterday. He said he was hoping to keep Trio open for one more semeste, but found it was losing too much money, especially during semester breaks and summer months. Yesterday, the clientele scoured course books, chatted with friends and sipped beverages in the smoker-friendly establishment. "I don't know where I'm going to study," 1999 College graduate and first-year Veterinary School student Leah Jackson said, adding that other campus coffee shops do not have the same close-knit feel and do not let her smoke and study for hours. Jackson, who learned of the cafe's fate last weekend, said she will now likely travel to the Last Drop, which is patronized primarily by college students and artists. "[CafZ Trio] has a serious following," she said. College junior Victor Chien called CafZ Trio "a focal point of West Philadelphia social life," citing differences between the establishment and chains like Xando and Starbucks. "Places like this foster community," said Chien, who previously worked for Xando. The Urban Studies major said retail ventures, such as Trio, make neighborhoods safer by opening up the streets at night. Chien said he does not know where he is going to study now that the cafe is closing. "I won't be going to Starbucks," he said.
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