A popular vegan café will close permanently at the weekend amid council plans to revamp Barrow’s town centre, it has been revealed.
The team at Sweet Pepper Café on Dalton Road took to social media to say that a ‘tiny sacrifice’ was necessary as part of the borough council’s plans to level up and regenerate the area.
“It is our decision to fully support whatever they require of us as we believe it will be for the betterment of the entirety of the project,” said a café spokesman.
The spokesman apologised for not revealing the closure sooner and said it had been the most difficult news to post.
“Sweet Pepper Café started as an idea that we wanted to bring joy and inspiration to everyone that may have either been wanting a change in their diet, an awareness to help the environment or even those who may have been touched by compassion to our fellow conscious beings,” he said.
“Many of our current and previous customers swear by the quality and diversity of our offerings thus making us – and still – the number-one-rated restaurant in Barrow-in-Furness for over three years on TripAdvisor.
“We have served people from all walks of life during our stay and have never stopped even all throughout a pandemic.”
The final day of trading for the café will be tomorrow, October 29.
“We had hoped that we could be here for longer, but we learned that things don’t always go as planned and to never take anything for granted,” said the spokesman.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for all your support. You kept us going and we appreciate all of you.”
Last month, it was revealed that three businesses in the ginnel between the bottom of Portland Walk and the top of Dalton Road were facing an uncertain future due to the council’s regeneration plans.
The council said at the time that it was working with tenants ‘to identify options for relocation’. A spokesman said businesses would ‘receive compensation in line with the terms of their lease’.
Alan Elrick, co-director of accessories store Got It Covered, said: “If I can afford to find another shop in the town centre, I’ll do my utmost to stay as a trader.”
