Town council leader says the hospitality and retail industry has been “financially hammered by the pandemic”
AN INDEPENDENT restaurant has closed down in Wokingham town centre, along with a coffee shop.
The Courtyard and Oscars Coffee are the latest in a number of businesses to close doors in town.
Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey, leader of Wokingham Town Council, said the council had given tenants the chance to defer rent for three months during the pandemic.
She told Wokingham.Today: “The Courtyard has gone into voluntary liquidation and won’t be reopening.
“As a council, we have supplied all our tenants with information from the borough council about financial help and business grants, and we recently agreed a three months holiday for rent for those who can prove they need help.
“We realise the hospitality and retail industry has been financially hammered by the pandemic.”
Oscars Coffee, which was bought in November last year, is now advertising that it’s for sale, with a sign on the cafe window.
Before that, the shop was called Oslars Coffee, the owners of which now run a mobile coffee van under the same name.
“Oscars have been covid-hit,” said Cllr Shepherd-DuBey. “They hadn’t opened, and I suspect they aren’t the only ones not to re-open.
“We recently lost Clintons and the Barista Lounge, and I’m concerned about Zizzi and Pizza Express – it’s the hospitality industry.”
But The Courtyard premises in the Town Hall may be used as a community space if a suitable business cannot be found to take over the tenancy.
“We’ll have access to the unit in a few days,” said Cllr Shepherd-DuBey. “If anyone wants to come along and rent it, it’s a prime location in the middle of town.
“But we’ve got some ideas for the space if there is no realistic business option. We own the Town Hall and don’t have outstanding debts, so we can afford to take the hit.
“We may decide to open it as a community space for a while, until the market picks back up again.”
But Cllr Shepherd-DuBey said she was pleased to see other businesses had taken a leap of faith during the pandemic.
She said: “The Joy Cafe has just opened up on Broad Street. I’m glad to see there are people happy to start up.”
