"Dear Washington, Please stop..." A Small Town Coffee Shop Speaks Out

Foregoing the traditional aprons, barristas at Shoe's Cup & Cork, a coffee shop/wine bar in Leesburg, Virginia, are sporting a complaint letter to the capital. The front of the stark black uniform shirts now simply declare: 

"Dear Washington, Please stop threatening to cause a world financial meltdown."

"The idea started as a big petition on a chalkboard wall," said Lori Miller, Shoe's representative, "and it just took off from there."

"Being in Virginia, many of our customers are the front line of those hurt by the government shutdown," said Miller, "and what might happen if the government defaults on Social Security and its debt is unthinkable. No matter which party you belong to, you have to admit it's pretty irresponsible to put us all in a position where we come within hours of defaulting every few months. We must be able to trust our government to fulfill its obligations, and since we're just a small shop in a small town, we decided that the only way to have our message heard was to wear it."

"We can't just sit quiet," says Miller, "Hey, we're a coffee joint!"

About Shoe's Cup & Cork:

Shoe's Cup & Cork, located at 17 North King Street, Leesburg, Virginia, features fair-trade house roasted coffees, fine wines, wholesome foods, bocce ball and first-rate local musicians in a restored century old shoe repair shop.