It has become a familiar sight in Hillcrest – a “For Sale” sign staked out in front of a popular GLBT business. Even though the closure of such businesses has become common in the last few years, the appearance of the telltale sign heralding the impending sale of David’s Coffeehouse, located at 3766 Fifth Ave., still shocked and saddened many in the GLBT community.

While there are numerous coffeehouses dotting the main streets of Hillcrest, David’s Coffeehouse has always stood out among the Starbucks and other chain coffee shops. With a billowing rainbow flag flying over its front awning, David’s is unmistakably a gay establishment. Inside, the coffee shop’s ties to the GLBT community are just as apparent. The walls are often decorated with gay-themed art. The newspaper racks are always filled with publications catering specifically to GLBT audiences. Same-sex couples can be found canoodling on the comfortable couches. There has never been any doubt that David’s welcomed the GLBT community.

It is this feeling of inclusion that fostered David’s Coffeehouse’s reputation as an unofficial GLBT community center. The café has an open-door policy for community groups needing an accepting location for their meetings. Organizations as varied as Prime Timers San Diego and the Men’s Politically Incorrect Discussion Group have been filling the patios at David’s recently.

David’s is especially noteworthy for its support of San Diego’s recovery community. Over the years, numerous organizations devoted to overcoming addictions have found safe haven at the coffeehouse. Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous and non-12 step programs such as S.M.A.R.T. Recovery have made a home at David’s.

This support of the community is nothing new to David’s. The establishment was, in fact, founded on the idea of reaching out to members of the community who were in need. Rick Osborne opened David’s Place – as it was known at its inception – in 1992 during the height of the AIDS crisis. The coffeehouse was a nonprofit organization with the proceeds from the sale of coffee benefiting several San Diego HIV/AIDS organizations.

But the coffeehouse served as more than a mere fund-raiser for the fight against AIDS. David’s Place became something of a sanctuary for community members trying to cope with the devastating effects of the AIDS epidemic. One of the most memorable aspects of David’s Place was the wall of remembrance, which featured the likeness of a tree. Patrons were invited to place leaves on the tree in honor of loved ones who had succumbed to the disease.

During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, David’s Place also became a gathering place for compassionate San Diegans looking to spread a little cheer to those suffering from the disease. Every weekend a group of citizens would meet to arrange flowers. These bouquets were then delivered to people with AIDS at local hospitals and hospices.

“The flowers brought so much joy to those people,” recalled John Sharkey, one of the volunteers who delivered the bouquets. “The nurses would tell me that the patients looked forward to their weekly delivery. Sometimes we were the only visitors the patients had all week. David’s Place did a lot of good in San Diego.”

When Osborne sold David’s Place to David Rea and Harry Sillen, the new owners made some changes to the business. The new David’s Coffeehouse turned into a for-profit business. The interior was renovated and updated. The AIDS wall of remembrance disappeared – a subtle acknowledgement that the establishment’s close association to the crusade against AIDS had become somewhat less prominent.

Nevertheless, David’s Coffeehouse has remained an active supporter of GLBT causes – including the fight against HIV/AIDS. The coffeehouse donates food to community events, meeting space to community groups and even wall space to community artists. For many community members, David’s Coffeehouse is regarded as a home away from home.

The exact fate of David’s Coffeehouse is not yet known. The building, which also houses the floral shop Flowers by Sean, is still on the market. The coffeehouse will remain open and operational for the time being. All organizations that use David’s as a meeting space will be allowed to continue their patronage.