Local Café?

At the AGM this week the subject of the lack of a good local café came up. The feeling was that the demographic of the area has changed and that we are crying out for such a thing - a friendly place where people could drop in, work (if there was internet access) if they work from home, meet friends, and that would have a good community feeling. A really good example is The Front Room in Tollington Park, in Finsbury Park. It's a friendly, funky place, furnished with quirky bits and pieces, with very much a community feeling - the people who come in know each other! Some people even go there for business meetings. They have tables outside where you can sit in the summer, and it's always busy. If you are around that area, check it out, or go to:

http://frontroomcafe.nfshost.com/

Any suggestions for Bowes Park?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michael Cordwell James on November 21, 2010 at 0:17

Well, there was somewhere very nice in Myddleton Road in the mid 90s, called Lyons. The signage is still up in fact, but the premises have been boarded up for years. A few of us really liked going there; they sold homemade cake and had a little garden out the back. Perhaps it's time has come round again...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on November 21, 2010 at 11:54

Diana
I agree a good café in Myddleton Road would be a terriffic addition to our area, but in a challenging economic climate I fear its unlikely a new business would take the risk to set up without a guaranteed critical mass of customers. A Community Café might be an option - does anyone remember the old hut in The Grove up at Ally Pally which operated a cafe as part of a project working with adults with learning disabilities. A community cafe which had another social purpose might be an option - but would need to be subsidised, at least in its set-up phase.

Alternatively we could make use of the excellent existing local small businesses - Fatisa has been mentioned a couple of times recently in another discussion as has Funky Lounge (with Wi-fi!) - on Green Lanes. There is also the new cafe on Green Lanes "Munch Time"? which has considerably brightened up the old Cafe Amore premises and there is Sais Cafe just by Bounds Green station.

So whilst we dont have a perfect cafe (yet!) in Myddleton Road - we have some pretty good places on offer a short walk away.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jane Perry on April 4, 2011 at 16:19

On this subject, I heard that Kebabish is up for sale (one of the kebab shops at the Bounds Green tube station intersection). I think it would be fantastic to have a really good cafe (DIana, I also find the Sais Cafe doesn't quite hit the spot), a deli, or even a great hardware store. However, I live in fear that there will be another fast food outlet taking it's place. One thing we really don't need is another chicken/fast food shop! I don't know how these decisions are made, or indeed how much consideration the local council puts into what a new business adds to the local community. I also don't know how much say the citizens of that local community have in the matter. I think the general consensus is that Bounds Green and Bowes Park is very ready for a place that serves good food, good coffee with a really great atmosphere... True, economic times are tough...but if there was something like that just up the road, I go all the time! I think many others feel the same way.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Olivia Macdonald on April 5, 2011 at 17:37

I agree that the lack of a good place for coffee, deli style snacks, etc is very evident. My son in law has wanted to open a new café in the area for a while - and even tried to get the kebabish premises the last time it came up. I'm pretty sure it was privately owned and the new lease was given to someone of the same community (in fact most of those shops around the tube are owned by the same person). I don't remember all the details as it was a few years ago, but would be surprised it it's anything more than a short lease that's for sale.
We also discussed building something at one of the BPCA meetings - there's a company that puts up very nice original oak structures (very reasonably priced) and I suggested the building could somehow be funded by the community in the space opposite Myddleton gardens. But then there was the question of connecting gas and electricity. Sofiane also looked at some of the vacant properties along Myddleton Road, but as Richard has mentioned, it is currently a big financial risk for one person to take on. If there's any way a premises can be acquired communally, then Sofiane doesn't mind risking his 'labour' - he's Tunisian and has managed cafés before.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on April 10, 2011 at 21:13

I'd be very happy to meet for a conversation -

As a bit of background a part-time Community Cafe has recently been established as one element of the Transition Crouch End project - Cafe Re-cycle is using surplus food from supermarkets to produce cheap healthy meals.

A UK wide network of projects, mostly artistic and creative, have set up a resources site for community organisations and individuals who want to make use of empty shops - the empty shops network website has case studies and tips

A similar approach to making positive use of temporarily unoccupied space is taken by the Meanwhile Space organisation who help make connections between people with underused propoerties and people with ideas about how to use them.

It may be that none of these approaches are right fro Bowes Park - but it is useful to consider what others have already achieved when setting a new plan.

Any one want to suggest a couple of dates to meet for an initial discussion?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Olivia Macdonald on April 12, 2011 at 16:22

I'd also be interested to meet up and discuss this idea, 6.30 at the Ranelagh on the 19th is fine by me.

Olivia

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jane Perry on April 13, 2011 at 8:51

What a fantastic response. It would be so lovely to have something like The Front Room Cafe in our area: a beautiful, creative space in which to say hello to others, sit and read the papers, enjoy some good food... I would love to attend the meeting on the 19th. I'm working until 8 p.m. however. Don't know how long the meeting will be, but I shall pop by afterwards to see if you're still there...otherwise, hopefully I can catch up with the discussion with updates on this forum.

Jane

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lucy Day on April 17, 2011 at 9:07

Have just seen the posts about the cafe idea- sounds a wonderful idea -and Drink Shop and Do is one of my favorite places , the antithesis of a franchise although it would be great if they could "franchise" one in Bounds Green! We are new to the area (Palmers Green so a little further out) and have been desperate to find a decent pub/cafe that is also child friendly , likewise my neighbours have also been struggling having moved here a couple of years ago. I checked out the Ranelagh online following your suggestions for a meeting ( which sadly I can't make bit will follow the thread!) - it looks good on the site but what is the general feeling about it? Sunday lunch with kids friendly?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lucy Day on April 17, 2011 at 11:21

thanks Diana - might persuade the gparents to take us all our to lunch this week!

Diana Ferguson said:

thanks Lucy. More and more people seem to want this café. Are we still meeting at the Ranelagh at 6.30 Tues, despite the quiz night crowd? I'm sure we could find a corner, or outside.

Lucy re the Ranelagh being child-friendly, you'd have to check it out. I think it's pretty laid back.

Diana

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jane Perry on April 17, 2011 at 15:07

Hi Lucy

My experience of the Ranelagh is that it is very child friendly, and in fact is full of families on a Sunday, especially when they've the garden open. So - thank goodness for the Ranelagh, as it does offer something relatively nice for us locals, but at the end of the day, it's still a pub!

Jane

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anna Blackburn on April 17, 2011 at 16:35

I think a local community cafe is a great idea and I'd certainly frequent it and do what I can to help create it. I didn't know about the Front Room and Drink, Shop and Do cafes and will go and look at them. We do need somewhere attractive in this area, not the Sais cafe, where people can meet each other, eat, drink, read the newspapers etc. Bounds Green and Bowes seems to have missed out on the regeneration that has gone on in other areas and needs an uplift. I'm not sure I can make the Tuesday evening meeting, if it is happening, but do want to be in on this.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cathy Herman on April 18, 2011 at 22:03

I won't be able to come to the meet at Ranelagh tomorrow but look forward to hearing how it goes and think it is a brilliant move

cathy

Jo Strange said:

Hi there,

I've only just seen this thread. I'd definitely use a local cafe, especially if it offered occasional events/provided a meeting place for local groups and the like. Diana, I too recently visited Drink Shop Do and could have stayed all day. Imagine something like that with the Lyons Tea Rooms frontage, it could work a treat and I'd probably try and move in! Does anyone know who owns that place?

Might a decent community cafe tie-in with Kate's discussion regarding a possible local Arts Centre in Clarence Rd? Exciting stuff!

Jo

ps. Tuesday is quiz night at the Ranelagh and lately many of the tables get reserved a few days in advance. It starts around 8-8.30 I think but even if you get there at 6-7ish it can sometimes be tricky to find a spot.