End of an era for Pulp 716: a new chapter with Prominent Coffee Co.
- heisenhauer6
- Nov 1, 2023
- 3 min read
What you need to know:
Bubble tea and comic shop Pulp 716 is closing at the end of October.
Prominent Coffee Co. will begin selling its drinks.
Customer reactions have been overwhelmingly positive.
For the past eight years, bubble tea and comic shop, Pulp 716, has been a booming hotspot in the Lockport community. However, it made the difficult decision to close its doors for good on Oct. 31 this year.
“I was really sad because it’s one of my favorite places to go with my friends, so I’m just really going to miss it,” said Jessica McClain, a regular at Pulp 716.
Pulp 716 has become a cherished and popular hangout spot for friends to read comics, play games, and drink bubble tea. Since the announcement, it has seen an outpour of support from patrons in the community.
"Lockport is a town that doesn’t have very many things around for people to do, and Pulp added something for friends to come and hang out,” said Amy Lawton, a Pulp 716 patron.
Not all is lost, though. On October 18, Prominent Coffee Company, a Clarence-based
coffee shop, announced its partnership with Pulp 716. This partnership will carry on Pulp
716’s memory with the addition of its popular bubble tea flavors to the menu.
According to Prominent Coffee Co.’s owner, Stephen Szortyka, at the start of this transition, Prominent Coffee Co. be offering four bubble tea flavors—two milk teas and two fruit teas—but will later expand its menu to offer more flavors.
“What we are going to do is implement the best practices from Pulp 716,” Szortyka said. “I really want to stay true to the core of their recipes and continue that tradition on.”
“I think it’s a great way to preserve the legacy, that way people can still get the drinks that they love, just at a different location,” McClain said.
Overall, support of this partnership has been very positive, offering customers a sense of relief, as they can relax knowing that their beloved bubble tea flavors are not gone forever.
“Friends and family were texting that I haven’t heard from in a long time reaching out, saying, ‘My daughter, my kid, my friend, they are so happy that you are going to carry on. We were so devastated to hear that Pulp was closing, but we are now so happy to hear that we can still get it and support you as well, too,’” Szortyka remarked.
Though this announcement has been met with overwhelming support from the public, the drive to Clarence from Lockport or North Tonawanda has made some customers reluctant to continue their patronage at Prominent Coffee Co.
"The main thing is how far away [Prominent Coffee Co.] is. It’s going to be a lot harder to go there than it would have been if Pulp stayed open," Lawton said.
“I probably still will go to Prominent Coffee, but not as often as I went to Pulp, just because it is so much farther away from my house,” McClain said. “Pulp was literally five minutes from where I live, so Prominent Coffee is just a little bit longer of a drive, unfortunately.”
Despite the hesitancy of some customers, Szortyka is confident this partnership will attract customers, both new and old, to the business.
“We’re really excited to spearhead and launch this line,” Szortyka said. “Constructive criticism and feedback are always welcome in our place. We care deeply about providing a really unique and enjoyable atmosphere and experience here.”
Though the exact flavors of bubble tea are yet to be released, customers are eagerly anticipating the return of their favorite drinks.
“I hope they have the Whovian there, because that was my favorite drink to get whenever I’d go to Pulp!” McClain said.
To stay updated on the latest bubble tea developments at Prominent Coffee Co., visit @prominentcoffeeco on Instagram.
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