New Harrogate cafe gives its views on impact of roadmap delay on small independents

Harrogate's top arts charity: Roadmap delay will impact on our events such as Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

Cafe Lolas’s owner Lola Spence said: “I started the business three months ago, on the understanding that the end of the restrictions were only weeks away.

“Business has been tough because people seem to be scared and do not want to come out and people are still working from home which means offices aren’t occupied, which brings less people to the high street.”

Proudly acting as a Sicilian coffee shop selling delicious cakes, cannolis, ice cream and milkshakes,

But Lola says her aim was not just to serve people cake, coffee and food but also to serve up some much-needed support, particularly to people isolated or struggling during the last 15 months of the virus such as very young adults and older folk.

Lola's intention, once she has won permission, is to start up different groups helping people with anything from mental health problems to just a friendly ear.

She had been planning to start a women’s support group soon each month one evening mid-week but the roadmap delay has itself delayed that idea.

She said: “The people I’m talking about mainly are the very young adults who volunteer for me in return for me to give them barista training and social skills, and the older folk who want a sympathetic ear and a place to socialise with friends and have a cup of tea.

"In speaking to these people there not thinking it’s just another four weeks they’ve lost total confidence in the Government and don’t believe there’s an end in sight, and any dates given are just false promises.

"These aren’t my views but the views of the people I speak to on a daily basis.

“I had planned to hold a women’s group at the cafe mid July but I won’t be able to do it.”

Located in Harrogate's Kings Quarter, Cafe Lolas' enthusiastic owner, who moved to Harrogate from York last November, has always had a busy life.

After successfully gaining a BA honours degree in youth and community development and a foundation degree is Theology and Christian studies, Lola worked for many years in community development and child protection, as well as with several churches - and she still retains an interest in those areas of life.

One day Lola hopes to be able to open on Friday and Saturday evening enjoying some great background music and making new friends.

Cafe Lolas is located at 120 King's Road, Harrogate and is open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm.

Harrogate man invents 'world’s cleverest coffee’ to boost performance and recovery

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.