ROCKFORD, Ill. — A local coffee shop is asking its former customers for help.

A GoFundMe was launched to help Velvet Robot Coffee Lab reopen in Rockford at 116 N. Main St. The store's owner, Justin Carner, said they are asking for funds that will support rent and utilities, the staff, restocking supplies, and launching new community events.

"Rising costs, high rent, and slowing traffic have made it extremely difficult to keep the shop going," Carner said on GoFundMe. "Roscoe is still haunting us and we haven't been able to get past that financial speed bump."

The comment comes after Velvet Robot closed their Roscoe location in August. They temporarily closed their downtown Rockford location to move to Roscoe in 2024.

"Despite cutting expenses and working every possible angle, we’

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