Buzz kill: Two downtown San Jose coffee shops suddenly close

That sound echoing through downtown San Jose on Monday morning was the wail of disappointed foodies mourning the loss of Social Policy, the spacious, artistic cafe on the Paseo de San Antonio that closed its doors over the weekend. And that wasn’t the only blow for coffee lovers: The Proper Cup on Santa Clara Street also poured its last brew on Friday.

Since opening in March 2016, So/Po, as it was known, served as a hip quasi-office for downtown worker bees, who enjoyed two hours of wi-fi access with their avocado toast and cold brew coffee. It also was a regular stop on the monthly South First Fridays art walk and a favorite of attendees at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, who’ll have to find another place to congregate when the event returns to San Jose in June.

And yes, So/Po is the latest victim of the Curse of Casa Castillo, adding to the roster of eateries that have failed to take hold on that spot since Mexican restaurant Casa Castillo was forced out by the Redevelopment Agency in 2001. With three years under its belt, though, I had high hopes Social Policy would be the curse-breaker.

Meanwhile, losing The Proper Cup — an early tenant in the One South Market building — is a loss for the community as well. Owner Dean Sherrell had made charity part of his business model, donating more than $10,000 to social causes during the 20 months the Proper Cup was open. In a letter to customers posted on the door over the weekend, Sherrell said “we just don’t have the volume to operate as I had envisioned” and expressed a wish that other businesses would pick up the banner for social causes.

Of course, businesses come and go and downtown San Jose is hardly in a coffee crisis, even if you remove all the Starbucks outlets. Recently, the Penny Cafe opened for daytime service on weekdays inside the Five Points bar on Santa Clara Street, and the Circle-A skate shop on Paseo de San Antonio next to the Hammer Theatre recently got its coffee operation brewing.

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS: There’s a musical breeze blowing into downtown San Jose this week. The U.S. premiere of “A Spoonful of Sherman,” a live musical revue of the Sherman Brothers’ enchanting songbook opens April 11 at 3Below Theaters and runs Thursdays through Sundays through May 5.

You might not know the names of Richard Sherman and his late brother, Robert Sherman, but you’re probably very familiar with their songs from “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” They even wrote “It’s a Small World (After All)” for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, which became one of the original ear worms thanks to its eponymous attractions at Disney parks.

The show’s playwright, Robert J. Sherman — the youngest child of Robert Sherman — arrived in San Jose on Tuesday in anticipation of the show’s opening.

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The show itself has had quite a journey to get to San Jose, as the set was shipped from the United Kingdom on an actual ship and took longer than expected to arrive in California — forcing the cancellation of a sneak preview last week. But everything’s in place now, or maybe it’s better to say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Get schedule and ticket information at www.3belowtheaters.com

THIS IS SHARKS TERRITORY: The San Jose Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the NHL playoffs starting April 10 and that means two things: It’s time to start growing your playoff beard and there’s going to be a street festival in front of SAP Center– not just for the first game of the series but for every single home game.

The free festivities, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Autumn Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets, will include a DJ, face-painters, a photo booth, food trucks and a beer booth (with beer proceeds benefiting the Sharks Foundation). Stanley Cup Playoff action from around the NHL will be shown on a 33-foot portable TV screen set up on Autumn Street, where the Sharks will also host watch parties for the first two away game on April 14 and 16.

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