Café to shut in Stoke-on-Trent park

A café is shutting inside one of Stoke-on-Trent's most prestigious parks. Café Indi at The Pavilion - inside Burslem Park - has been rumoured to have been closing for weeks.

It follows extensive talks between the café operator and Stoke-on-Trent City Council over the terms of the current lease amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. Now it has been confirmed that the café will close on Friday, May 17.

The venue is particularly inviting the local community to enjoy 'cakes and cuppas' at the pavilion from midday to 2pm today.

READ: Cafe back open at Burslem Park - here's what's on the menu - It has been closed for a number of months

READ: Burslem Park cafe back in business after refurbishments and repairs - Its profits go towards helping young adults and adults in Stoke-on-Trent

Helping Angels Charitable Association opened Café Indi at The Pavilion in September 2022 as part of its mission to get vulnerable adults with learning disabilities into work. But the venue later shut and reopened earlier this year following repairs and renovations.

In a social media message to park visitors, the venue stated: "With a heavy heart, we would like to share an important update with our community. After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Café Indi at The Pavilion. This decision was not made lightly and comes in response to the unprecedented challenges brought on by the current cost of living crisis and issues with our current lease.

"We are currently in discussions with the council to renegotiate our lease terms. As a charity deeply committed to our community, we are continually evaluating how best to allocate our resources to ensure they have the maximum impact. During the closure period, we will collaborate with the council and explore alternative methods and ideas that will enhance the cafe's sustainability to determine the future of Café Indi at the Pavilion.

"We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been a part of Café Indi's journey – our incredible staff, volunteers, work placement learners, customers, and supporters. We hugely appreciate your support. Our final day will be Friday, May 17. We will remain open as usual until then and look forward to seeing you. We will share any updates regarding the future of Café Indi as soon as we have news."

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has pledged to do all it can to boost footfall into Burslem Park.

Council leader Jane Ashworth said: “Burslem Park’s café plays a vital role in the community. It has prompted the council to look over its historic leases to ensure that community facilities such as this are supported to thrive as much as possible. There are lessons for us to learn as an authority when it comes to enforcing leases that have been operating between the city council and community organisations and charities for some time. We are now looking more closely at the detail of the legacy lease to ensure it is reasonable, fair and up-to-date.

“Café Indi has been established as an important community initiative for over a year-and-a-half, and is backed by the city council to help support people in the community across all ages and backgrounds. We are now in negotiations with the team behind Café Indi to support them. We will do everything we can to help encourage footfall in the park and help the café stabilise and grow their income.”

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