Cafe launched on day lockdown was announced closes - but ‘will return’
Sam McGhee says his business will "ride the wave" of lockdown. Picture: Sam's Cafe/Facebook - Credit: Sam's Cafe/Facebook
The owner of a café which opened the day the second lockdown was announced has insisted he will “ride the wave” of the pandemic and continue to grow.
Sam McGhee is the owner of Sam’s Cafes which opened its original site in Norwich’s Vauxhall Road early this year, and then a second site in Catton Road on October 31.
He said: “We opened the Saturday the second lockdown was announced which is a bit annoying. But I just have to remember that this is what needs to be done if we’re going to get through this as safely as possible.”
Mr McGhee will be closing the Catton Road site until lockdown restrictions are eased as he wants to focus on his other site.
He said: “We have a really strong customer base at Vauxhall Road and it’s lovely to be such a part of the community. We’ll be doing what we did there during the last lockdown and having fruit and veg as well as bread and eggs for sale.
“We’ll also be doing takeaway and bringing back our Sunday roast delivery service. That went absolutely mad in lockdown so we do a meat every week – starting with roast pork this weekend and then homemade toad in the hole the week after.”
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He added that he had had to furlough a couple of members of staff on his team of four, but that he was hopeful he may be able to bring them back during lockdown.
“Last time we furloughed people and then brought them back because we were just so busy. I think because we had local produce and we were around the corner for people instead of a big shop with lots of crowds it really worked for our neighbourhood.
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“We feel like we’ve been brought into the hearts of the neighbourhood which is why we always try and go above and beyond for them – like offering free meals for children during half term.”
The 22-year-old added: “I just feel like we have to ride the wave of the virus and get through this as best we can. We got through the first lockdown well and I’m confident we’ll do the same this time.”
