'Much-loved' café to close despite rise in customers

A café launched by a charity to offer people a warm space and affordable food is set to close.

The Friendship Café, based inside Gloucester's Chequers Bridge Community Centre, first opened in 2019, with bosses saying their aim was to "break even with costs".

But due to rising costs and less funding for charities, leaders have said they have made the difficult decision to close the "much-loved community hub" in the coming weeks.

Reyaz Limalia, chair of the centre's trustees, said the number of customers had increased, but commercially "it has never quite worked".

"Our long-term aim was to break even, but that's never quite happened," he added.

He continued: "Because of the cost of living crisis and other things, the demand for community organisations has increased.

"All charities and community organisations are being asked to do more, but the funding available has decreased."

Bosses of the Friendship Café are now exploring ways the space could be used in the future.

Mr Limalia said: "Funding cycles go up and down and it's always about looking at the opportunities.

"So any opportunity we get to get things going again, whether it's in the same format or a different format, we're up for that."

Jonathan Chance runs a workshop in the same building and has used the coffee shop since it first opened.

"It's just a nice place. It's affordable and usually quite busy. It's a place where lots of people can meet together, from all ages and every background.

"It's really sad and it would be great if something could happen there in the future," he said.

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