St. Louisans Fight Back, Capture Would-Be Starbucks Robber

Police say Starbucks employees and a customer held one of the robbers until officers arrived; the other was caught later

By Monica Obradovic

Dec 19, 2023 at 9:44 am

Image: Joshua Noe, left, and Marquise Porter-Doyle are currently being held in the St. Louis City Justice Center.

Joshua Noe, left, and Marquise Porter-Doyle are currently being held in the St. Louis City Justice Center. CITY JUSTICE CENTER

Two men have been charged after a group of brave St. Louisans foiled their attempt to rob the Starbucks on South Grand.

Police allege Joshua Noe, a 37-year-old from Potosi, and Marquise Porter-Doyle, 35, of south St. Louis, entered the Starbucks at 212 South Grand around 2:54 p.m. on this past Sunday, December 17. Armed with what appeared to be handguns, they told the seven employees and one customer inside to get on the ground and give them their valuables.

Noe and Porter-Doyle also instructed employees to open the door to the cash register and safe, but the employees were unable to do so. So Noe struck one victim in the head with his "handgun," only for it to break upon hitting the victim's head, according to a probable cause statement.

After the fake gun broke, the victims realized that Noe's gun was not real and they began to fight back.

During the fight, police allege Noe and Porter-Doyle each punched one of the victims in the face. Even so, a police incident summary says the people in the Starbucks were able to subdue and detain Noe. Porter-Doyle fled before police arrived, but officers found him a short time later.

Noe faces 11 felony charges in total: three for 1st-degree robbery, six for 1st-degree attempted robbery, one for 2nd-degree assault and another for 3rd-degree assault.

Porter-Doyle faces all of the same minus the 2nd-degree felony assault.

Both he and Noe are being held without bond.

This still from a video shot by bystander Matt Pfaff shows St. Louis Police at Bar:PM after crashing an SUV into the LGBTQ bar.

Attorney: Videos Taken at Bar:PM Contradict St. Louis Police Story: Police crashed an SUV into the LGBTQ bar, then arrested a co-owner for felony assault

Slideshow

20 St. Louis Coffee Shops That Are Better Than Starbucks

If you're a self-proclaimed coffee geek, try....Comet Coffee. 5708 Oakland Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 932-7770 Made up of a staff of coffee nerds, Comet Coffee makes coffee and makes it well. If youre someone who views coffee as so much more than a cup of brown liquid, come on in to this Dogtown shop and join your fellow like-minded folks. All the coffee at Comet Coffee is hand brewed and sourced from quality roasters here in St. Louis and across the country. A similar philosophy is applied to the baked goods at Comet Coffee as well -- theyre made in-house with organic ingredients. So basically, if coffee is your life, then Comet Coffee is your place. Photo by Jules Brown.

If you're a Wash. U student looking for study-session necessities, try....Meshuggah Cafe. 6269 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63130 (314) 726-5662 Are you a Wash. U student looking to get some cramming in? Are you trying to write a paper on Foucalt's pendulum and you've lost your momentum? Friendly, low-key Meshuggah has the free wifi, good coffee and full menu you need, plus beer and wine. And it's right down the street from where you live, so you're already halfway to a table. Photo by Kevin Korinek.

If you're a Wash. U student too lazy to walk an extra half-mile to Meshuggah, try....Kayak's Coffee. 270 N. Skinker Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63130 (314) 862-4447 Let's be honest: the parking by Kayak's sucks. But if you're on foot, and don't want to walk aaaallll that way to Meshuggah (#firstworldproblems), park yourself at Kayak's by Kaldi's Coffee, the bustling corner cafe right at Skinker and Forest Park. With rustic decor and a ski lodge feel, it's a great atmosphere if you're pining for your next break from school. And if you don't want to make your own breakfast/lunch/dinner/mid-day snack, Kayak's has a menu full of breakfast items, salads, flatbreads and sandwiches. RFT photo.

If you're into people-watching, try ... Coffee Cartel. 2 Maryland Plaza St. Louis, MO 63108 (314) 454-0000 This Central West End hotspot stays open all night long. It also features coffee drinks spiked with either booze, or ice cream, or both -- you pick your poison. But those two features, wonderful though they are, don't even rise to the top of our list of things to love about Coffee Cartel, and that's for one simple reason: there is no finer spot for people watching in all of St. Louis. Where else can you observe the Real Housewives of Hortense Place plan their next charity gala -- even as law school students attempt to sober up from a night on the town and professional dogwalkers pound out their next screenplay? White, black, gay, straight, everyone comes to Coffee Cartel, and St. Louis is better for it. RFT photo.

If you're a breakfast connoisseur, try....The Mud House. 2101 Cherokee St. St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 776-6599 Why should the time on the clock dictate what you have to eat? At The Mud House, you can get breakfast (or lunch) all day long. And this isn't just typical coffeehouse food -- it is locally sourced and a true coffee shop standout. From chickpea and sweet potato curry to a portobello reuben, you'll never get bored with the menu. And the Mud House is all about being welcoming, so make sure you stand by this saying on the menu: "Be polite, or take a hike." Photo by Jennifer Silverberg.

If you've got a sweet tooth, try .... Park Avenue Coffee. 1919 Park Ave. St. Louis, MO 63104 (314) 621-4020 Ten years after opening in Lafayette Square, Park Avenue Coffee isn't just going strong -- it's on a growth tear, with the original location joined by outposts downtown and in the Hill, as well as a shop/cafe in Cortex. In some ways, this homegrown chain is St. Louis' answer to Starbucks: It's got the same friendly professionalism and something-for-everyone appeal. But even beyond the whole "local" thing (which is huge), it's got a giant advantage over Starbucks: the amazing gooey butter cake. Co-owners and siblings Dale Allen Schotte and Marilyn Scull adapted their mother's recipe into more than 70 variations of the stuff -- and have had theirs named the best in town by no less than the Food Network. Come for the coffee, but don't forget to stay for dessert. Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Coffee.

If you're a mom -- or dad -- raising kids in the city, try ....Hartford Coffee Company. 3974 Hartford St. St. Louis, MO 63116 (314) 771-5282 Med-school students and old-man regulars fill the front tables at Hartford Coffee Company, which is separated from a back play area by tall shelves where the shop stores dispensers for bulk-sale coffee beans. Everyone at this Tower Grove shop seems like they'd be just as happy at Starbucks, but isn't it nice there is a non-corporate, neighborhood place that's right around the corner? ("This just feels like a real neighborhood, you know?") The moms are a mix of Pilates students stopping off with their jogging strollers after a run in the park, and oh-so earnest types, who just love that they get to spend all this time with their little ones every single day but, holy fuck, would it be too much to ask to get out of the house for 10 goddamn minutes and not have everyone freak out about you bringing your crying kid somewhere in public? Kids cry, people! You'll live. On that note, Hartford Coffee Company sells plastic cups of goldfish in addition to the air roasted coffee, housemade baked goods and breakfast and lunch options on the menu. Photo courtesy of Instagram / hartfordcoffeeco.

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Monica Obradovic

Monica Obradovic is a staff writer for the Riverfront Times.

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