Commentary: We Must Do More to Support Our Small Businesses

By Ben Litchfield

I recently learned that my favorite local coffee company, Virginia Commonwealth Roasters, permanently closed its doors after operating in south Stafford and Fredericksburg for over seven years. On its website and Facebook page, it said that the lasting impacts of the pandemic, the rising cost of green coffee beans, and overall inflation made it impossible to continue production and offer a fair price to customers.