Woman who 'hit rock bottom' celebrates ten years of cafe which is so comfy people fall asleep by the window

A woman who 'hit rock bottom' rebuilt her life as a single mother-of-two and started her own business. It has been a long journey of ups and downs, however the children have grown into successful young people, and they are celebrating the cafe coffee shop business having been opened for ten years, this week.

Caroline Wynn, 53, from Hardwicke, owns Wynn's Coffee Shop in High Street in Stonehouse. Before, Carline had worked doing outside catering for shows and events, yet took the opportunity to set up the coffee shop when the building was available.

Caroline had known from a young age about hard work and graft, as she had been brought up on a fun fair. She only had three years of primary education and noticed gaps in her learning as a teenager, such as spelling, so Caroline bought herself a dictionary and taught herself how to spell.

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Caroline said: "I found myself very much a single mum-of-two when the children were nine and ten-years-old, and I felt I had hit rock bottom. I was on my own for about four or five years, and unemployed for a little while and struggled to find a job, it was a low time, and then I started to think about opening a coffee shop.

"On a business level, I was interested in getting into the cafe industry, and I knew there was a gap in the market in Stonehouse and I liked the town. The opportunity to open the coffee shop was there and I set up Wynn's as a coffee and cake shop."

When the coffee shop first opened, the place was so welcoming and comfortable, customers would fall asleep in the seats by the window. Caroline feels it is really important for those who visit should feel welcomed and enjoy their visit with a friendly atmosphere.

Caroline said: "When I first opened the coffee shop, the children would come and help when they finished the day at Maidenhill School, and on the weekends. Later I was able to employ other members of staff, however when Covid came, I had to reduce the staff and now it is just me and my son, although I hope this will change in the future.

"Education was and has always been something I will hold as being really important. I realised when I was a teenager how much I had missed, having only been in school for three years, from the age of seven to ten-years-old.

"I knew there were gaps in my learning, including my spelling, and I knew more opportunities were open to people with an education. So I bought myself a dictionary and taught myself how to spell.

"Education has been really important to me, and my children have worked really hard at school. My children both had scholarships to Wycliff College, and my daughter is a rare book specialist, and my son is an aspiring actor."

Caroline believes if you are determined enough, you can succeed. Her motivation had been the lack of education not stopping her from getting to where she hoped to be.

She said: "I have been able to buy my home which is in the yard of where the family fair is based, the children are doing well, and I have managed to keep the business going throughout everything. I feel we have been able to get where we are due to our values, hard work, and being able to set up in the town.

"We started as a coffee shop just selling coffee, drinks and cake. Then we moved into making cooked breakfasts, omelettes, jacket potatoes and sandwiches.

"People like coming to us as they feel at home, and when we first opened and had seats by the window, people would fall asleep in the chairs as they felt so comfortable. We have had people come in on their own, and we have started up a conversation between us, and friends are made.

"Even with the struggles we had following Covid, we have tried to keep to using local produce and good quality, and to provide a welcoming service. I am hoping we can continue to recover, and be where we were before, and employ more staff again"

Ever since the coffee shop started to run as more of a cafe serving hot food, people flock to get their breakfast sandwiches, drinks, and sweet treats. Seating is available both upstairs and downstairs and there is also the option to book a room for groups to meet.

Caroline said: "We have just won the Stonehouse Town Council 'Business of the Year award. It is really lovely to know we are a part of the Stonehouse community and I hope more people will come and visit us in the future."