Arizona Coffee

Essenza Coffee House has closed its doors:

Essenza Coffee House (1350 S. Longmore St.), also is saying good-bye to the Valley.

The little independent shop was purchased by Tim and Mary Ann Prawdzik this past March and featured delicious coffee drinks and a variety of sandwiches and baked goods, plus board games and free Internet access.

It also was home to the Southwest’s longest-running poetry slam, Essenzaslam, which has been going on since 1994. Now the Valley poets who perform there, who also have been seen at Paper Heart, must find a new venue to call home and start a legacy all over.