New seafront café will open on Saturday with offer for parkrunners

A new café run by a well-known Suffolk family will be opening on Saturday with a special offer for parkrunners.

The Sweetwater venture - run by David Manning and his wife Vivien - has had a soft launch at Forum Amusements in Sea Road in Felixstowe, but will be officially opened at the weekend.

To celebrate, runners and walkers completing the weekly 5km parkrun event along the promenade - held every Saturday at 9am - are being offered half price teas and coffees when they show their parkrun barcode.

READ MORE: Sweetwater has opened at Forum Amusements in Felixstowe

Earlier this month, this newspaper revealed that the business was pledging to provide "quality coffee, teas and specialist ice creams".

Mr Manning's nephew Charles runs the nearby Mannings Amusements and the Beach Street container complex, while David built the Forum and opened Saltwater fish and chips, next door to Sweetwater, in June 2020.

Mrs Manning said: "We are looking to provide a quality offering and have installed a La Marzocco coffee machine which coffee lovers will recognise as an excellent machine.

READ MORE: Former Felixstowe Mobility Centre to become a Cookie Barista

Park runners will be able to get a half price coffee and tea at Sweetwater on Saturday (Image: Vivien Manning)"We provide inside and outside seating. There is also a takeaway ice-cream parlour."

Among the range of products on offer is speciality tea and coffee provided by Butterworth and Son in Bury St Edmunds, as well as Marshfield Farm Ice Cream, which is also used to make the milkshakes on offer.

The well-known Mr Whippy soft-mix brand of ice cream is also available, with customers being able to choose a flavour and add a flake or toppings.

Mrs Manning added: "During Covid, we realised we had to diversify from running the arcade only. Additionally our own family involvement in the business had expanded.

READ MORE: Felixstowe news

"We refurbished and opened Saltwater fish and chips in June 2020.

"The natural progression was then to owner manage the complete site and in the spring of 2022 we gave the previous tenants of the premises two summers' notice to find alternative premises.

"We have invested in the refurbishment of Sweetwater to provide a quality offering of specialist coffee, teas and excellent ice creams, ably managed by Marie Revett.

"We are always looking for staff with an understanding of good service."