Another Devon business is having to make drastic changes to stay afloat as costs continue to soar. The department store has decided to close its cafe, saying its sales have diminished in the post-Covid era.
On Saturday (February 24), Fields of Sidmouth department store closed its cafe The Devon Kitchen for the final time. The independent store said that they had to take the “extremely difficult decision” to protect the rest of the business, which sells a range of clothes, cosmetics and homeware from a variety of different brands.
The owners say the cafe’s financial contribution to Fields has “diminished” since it reopened after lockdown and had struggled with rising bills.
According to DevonLive, many businesses around the country have reported challenging trading conditions after energy bills began to skyrocket in 2022 and customers, who have also been hit by the cost of living crisis, started to scale back their spending. This has resulted in a huge wave of closures, including both national and independent shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs and bars.
The Devon Kitchen was located on the first floor of Fields, serving up hot drinks, cakes, Devonshire cream teas, full English breakfasts and hot and cold lunches. Following its closure, the department store says it is looking into alternative uses for the space, with initial plans being to expand its menswear and ladieswear offering.
In a statement on their website, Fields of Sidmouth said: “Regrettably, we have taken the decision to close the Cafe on Saturday 24th February.
“This was an extremely difficult decision but with increasing costs and challenging sales, the financial contribution of the cafe has diminished since it re-opened after coronavirus>Covid and we have to prioritise the overall viability of the store in the longer term.
“We are considering some exciting alternative uses for the space to enhance our customer’s experience. At this stage, our initial plans are to expand our fashion offering for both Ladieswear and Menswear with some new brands.”
“We will let our customers know more in due course, once we have finalised these plans. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our customers for your understanding.”
Fields opened in 1809 in Old Fore Street, which is where it remains to this day. It is an independent business, owned by Goulds of Dorchester, which operates from two locations in Dorchester, as well as owning Goulds Garden Centre in Weymouth.
