Lifted Energy says it must leave its current location by July as the building is sold, prompting a search for a new home.
MOLINE, Ill. — Lifted Energy, a Moline coffee and energy drink shop is searching for a new home after learning it must leave its current location when its lease ends this summer.
Kristine Garcia, along with Ashley and Victoria Adlfinger, are the sister trio behind Lifted Energy. They have been serving drinks out of a leased building on 16th Street for the past two and a half years.
“I just thought it was like the coolest family business that we could do,” Garcia said.
For Garcia, it was her dream, and her sisters wanted her to succeed.
“I guess it just takes me back to when we were little, the way we were raised to have a dream, like it was never gonna happen,” Garcia said. “To be adults and to make it happen is such a blessing.”
But come July, Lifted Energy will have to shut its windows at its current location. The building they operate out of is being sold, and the trio says they will not be buying it.
“It kills me because this is our home, and this is where my dream came true, so I don’t want to leave it,” Garcia said.
The building is owned by RY Holdings LLC. The property manager declined to be on camera but responded to a text message, saying:
“We really want them to have a successful business. We’re aware of the social media posts and take them seriously. The building is for sale, they have the option to buy it and they are able to fulfill their lease. The reason the lease is not offered to be renewed is because the building is for sale.”
The sisters say that was not their understanding.
“We really didn’t know we had the option to buy it,” Garcia said.
She added that she understands the position of the building’s owner.
“Legally, he’s doing what he’s supposed to do, and I think he just, I think he just wants to get rid of us,” Ashley said. “I think he’s ready to sell the building and, you know we’re in it, so (we) gotta get out to sell it.”
The trio says even if they had been given the option to purchase the building, they would not have taken it.
“The upfront cost of a purchase is the biggest problem,” Ashley said.
“I feel like (leasing) gives the tenant more flexibility… Staying permanent to that property, I don’t think that’s the best idea for us at this point,” she added.
Now, the search for a new location is underway.
“This is not the end. I refuse to let it to be the end,” Garcia said.
The sisters knew they needed help looking for a new building. So, they took to Lifted Energy’s Facebook page to not only let their customers know the situation, but also ask for help.
“We knew that if we could get that out there and say, ‘Hey, have you guys seen anything?’ maybe somebody has seen something that we haven’t seen and then they’ll tell us and we can look at that,” Ashley said.
The support has from the community has been overwhelming.
“I never would have thought we would have gotten this much support from from our local community, from the city,” Ashley said.
“The City of Moline is trying to help us. I mean, the mayor of Silvis has reached out to us,” Garcia said.
And the recommendations are helping.
“We’re actually talking to a couple of people because of the information that we’ve gotten on our social media,” Ashley said.
The trio will be able to remain in their current building until July, when their lease ends. Lifted Energy says it hopes to stay in Moline but is open to options across the Quad Cities.