Business Gateway Supports Couple to Reopen Cafe

6th April 2011

It's third time lucky for local café owners who had to shut their premises twice in the last 15 months due to flooding.

Lindsay and Bob Boyle took over the lease of the small premises in Bettyhill on Sutherland's north coast nearly two years ago.

With the help of Business Gateway Sutherland, the couple who moved to the area from Ipswich, decided to add value to their new business by establishing a craft shop within the café.

But disaster struck in September 2009 and then again in December the next year, when flooding forced them to twice close the premises while they repaired the damages.

Now, after rethinking their business strategy with Business Gateway's support, Lindsay and Bob will soon be welcoming customers again.

Lindsay, formerly a bookkeeper and Bob who worked in the motor trade, often holidayed in Sutherland and in 2006 the couple decided to move to the area permanently.

Initially they found jobs in their own field but Lindsay was made redundant after the firm she was working for ceased trading.

Around this time the lease of the local authority owned café premises became available, and after careful consideration the couple decided to take the plunge and begin running their own business.

Lindsay said: "Bob is a Scot and was often homesick so we came to Sutherland on holiday for about five years in a row. We loved it and when we decided we wanted to move, it seemed the obvious choice. We found a lovely house and both got jobs.

"Around the time I was made redundant, Bob felt he would like a change in career and that's when we discovered that the lease was available for the café. I had always been a keen baker and Bob enjoyed working with people so we felt that running a café would suit us perfectly."

Despite opening in May 2009, the café has had a difficult first year of trading. After just a few months, substantial flooding meant the café had to be closed while repairs worth thousands of pounds were undertaken.

More bad luck was to follow in December last year when further severe weather caused another flood to hit the shop, resulting in the whole ground floor being ruined.

Disheartened, Lindsay and Bob considered their options but decided that they loved running the café too much to walk away.

Lindsay added: We didn't open until the middle of May so we lost out on the Easter trade and then we were forced to shut in September because of the flooding. It was such a short season that we simply hadn't made enough money to invest in the business and develop the craft and gift side. The repair to the damage added up to thousands but we managed to get it sorted so we could open a month later.

"We were disheartened and felt pretty desperate because we wanted to move forward with our plans for the craft shop but were too financially constrained to do so."

The decision to add a shop to the café arose after speaking with their local Business Gateway office who Lindsay had approached for advice after spotting an advert in her local newspaper.

David Knight, Regional Development Officer for Business Gateway Sutherland, visited the cafe and after reviewing the business, agreed that establishing a craft shop as an offshoot made sound business sense and would benefit both visitors and local craftspeople. He then prioritised an application for start-up funding for the new venture.

Lindsay said: "David pushed our grant application through quickly. We were very grateful for the funding which allowed us to renovate the first floor and outfit it as a shop which now allows us to showcase a range of local crafts and gifts. The second flood, in December 2010 again wiped out the ground floor and this time the kitchen had to be replaced.

"It did enter our minds to cut our losses but we enjoyed running the café and knew we had a good business that would make a difference to the village."

The Café at Bettyhill will officially re-open to the public on April 11th and will not only offer customers homemade treats but locally sourced arts and crafts which the husband and wife team are currently collating.

David Knight added: "Supporting the vital creative industries sector is a Business Gateway priority and Bettyhill Crafts is rapidly becoming the focus of local craft activity. The business not only provides a showcase for local artists and craftspeople, but it also hosts workshops and networking opportunities for creative people in the area which itself encourages others to explore their potential."

Business Gateway provides practical help, advice and support for new and growing businesses in Scotland.

To find out more about how it can help you set up and develop your own business visit www.bgateway.com or call 0845 609 6611. Alternatively call your local office directly on 01863 766128.