A mainstay in La Mesa Village for a decade, Public Square Coffee House, and its sister store in downtown San Diego, are temporarily closed after employees alleged that the owners failed to pay them.
At least three staff members picketed outside the building on Saturday with signs that read “Public Square withholds pay” and “Public Square doesn’t pay workers.”
“We turned away a lot of business that day and I think that’s ultimately the reason that they decided to shut down, was just to continue to save face,” said Noah Bollow, one of the protesters.
In the wake of the picketing and online scrutiny, family-owned Public Square shut its doors. An Instagram post said the coffee shops were temporarily closed amid “organizational changes.”
View this post on InstagramJudah Henderson and Alexis Dumeng-Henderson, the son and daughter-in-law of founder Aaron Henderson, released a March 29 statement announcing they had resigned as operators of the La Mesa location in solidarity with the staff.They said the company’s finances declined in recent years amid expansion, and the La Mesa store had to shoulder the burden.“This eventually led to delayed paychecks for ourselves and, later, for our staff,” Henderson and Dumeng-Henderson wrote.
The pair were shareholders and operators of the La Mesa location since 2021 but did not have voting power in major business and financial decisions, they wrote.
“Though we believe there was no ill intent, the reality is that bad decisions can cause great harm and our employees have paid the price for that,” said the statement.
The same day the statement was issued, staff organized a walkout and told executives they would not return until being paid in full, including tips.
Three employees decided to publicly air their grievances in a protest a week later while still waiting for pay. They wanted to call attention to what they saw as a pattern of broken promises based on accounts from former staff members who experienced similar issues.
“We wanted to make sure that (Aaron Henderson) felt the pressure,” Bollow said. “The workers are the ones that really have the power and can shed light on this thing that he’s tried so hard to hide for so long.”
Aaron Henderson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bollow said that when he was hired in February, he was told the company was having cash flow issues but was promised he would get paid after 30 days.
“Once those 30 days came and went, I was ready to get a check,” Bollow said. “And then they messaged the whole team and said, ‘Hey, we don’t have any money to pay you guys. We will have it at the end of the week.’ The end of the week came and went.”
“They told us that they would get the money to us as soon as they have it. Some people still have not gotten that check.”
He did eventually receive one paycheck for a two-week period. Bollow estimates the company owes him $1850 in wages before taxes, plus any digital tips.
Before joining the company, Bollow admired Public Square’s community focus. But now he does not plan to go back unless there are new owners.
“They don’t practice business in an ethical manner; they don’t put the workers first,” Bollow said. “They’ve run their business into the ground, and then they’re passing that burden along to their workers.”
According to Bollow, founder Aaron Henderson blamed the lack of pay on debt from expansion plans, a contractor who overran the budget and an ensuing lawsuit.
Public Square replaced Cosmos in 2016 as a trendy coffee spot in the village with frequent music events. Aaron Henderson opened it with business partner Chris Herrera.
His wife Laura and five children were frequently at the shop. One of his first hires was his other son, Noah Henderson, who eventually moved up to be head roaster. In addition, Noah Henderson now owns 10k Coffee Lab that operates alongside another Henderson eatery, the burger and coffee shop Friends of Friends in National City. That restaurant remains open.
The Public Square owners teased expansion plans after neighboring Hoffer’s Cigar Bar closed. Aaron Henderson and Herrera launched a Mainvest campaign to raise $200,000 from investors for an expansion of the coffee shop into the space with new rooftop seating. But the cigar bar reopened on Valentine’s Day 2025 in its prior form.
Other plans included a coffee house at San Diego State University.
Aaron Henderson has faced other disputes. Court records show that he and Public Square Holdings Inc. are listed among the defendants in a September 2024 lawsuit brought by realtor and contractor Derek Grant over breach of contract. Grant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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