I visited one iconic coffee shop for the very last time
It’s been a favourite of mine for many years – and now it’s gone (Image: Katie Oborn)
A popular coffee shop in a UK city has closed its doors forever and will no longer trade in the long-term location that was a favourite spot for locals and visitors. The closure comes due to an “end of an era” shut down of a major department store in the same city, as the cafe was based in the same iconic building.
The much-loved Caffè Nero had been in the same location for years, based on the ground level of a large House of Fraser, but on Friday, March 13, the coffee shop shut down. The whole department store will also close down forever this month, but it is currently still trading as a huge final sale takes place. The coffee shop has been one of my favourite places to grab a coffee while sitting in this buzzing Plymouth city centre spot and watching the world go by beside a huge window.
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Caffè Nero will continue to trade in the other Plymouth high street store, just 10 minutes away (Image: Katie Oborn)
I’ve been visiting this coffee shop for 18 years, I’ve spent hours in this place across all seasons, it had a community vibe – and was open from early morning through till early evening.
It had been a great spot to gather, either sitting outside on sunny spring or summer days or getting a cosy seat indoors while enjoying a hot chocolate or latte during wintertime – and during the Christmas season it was always bustling.
Last Thursday (March 12) I had my final coffee here, before the Caffè Nero closed down on Friday, March 13 – and several other customers were settling down for a hot drink for the last time.
This Caffè Nero was a large one with plenty of seating indoors and a few chairs outside on the paved pedestrianised area – and during the warmer weather it has been a great place to meet friends or family, or even have random conversations with other locals.
I’m a big fan of the coffee at Caffè Nero and have been since they first opened in 1997. Last Thursday I tried one of the Caffè Nero cream buns for the first time. It was delicious.
Luckily there is another Caffè Nero in Plymouth, but there’s no doubt that this iconic coffee shop will be greatly missed by many, myself included.
The Caffè Nero was based at Plymouth House of Fraser which is set to close down soon (Image: Katie Oborn)
It had been busy whatever day of the week and had only closed down due to the House of Fraser upcoming closure, as this Caffè Nero branch was based in the same building.
Customers have told me how gutted they are that the department store is closing down and many have also expressed how much they will miss the Caffè Nero, with the coffee house brand itself expressing “disappointment” at the coffee shop’s closure.
A Caffè Nero spokesperson said: “We were disappointed to have to close our House of Fraser store in Plymouth due to circumstances out of our control.
“We have always enjoyed being part of the community in Plymouth and continue to be so with our Plymouth high street store, just 10 minutes away.
“We will continue to be a welcoming hub for the people of Plymouth, serving premium speciality coffee with heartfelt service.”
The much-loved Dingles Cafe on the top floor of this iconic House of Fraser has also shut down forever – and the department store will close soon too, leaving the building empty until a new use is taken up.
