A MUCH-LOVED city-centre coffee shop has closed down this weekend citing economic pressures.
Owners of The Little Man Coffee Co in Cardiff made the announcement the cafe would close on social media.
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The independent coffee shop has been considered one of the best in the city since it opened on Bridge Street 11 years ago.
It served speciality coffee from over 25 different roasters with a variety of brew methods.
Founder Rob Cooper said in his announcement about the closure: “‘I’ m pretty sad about it.
“I would like to thank with all my soul the humans who have worked with me during early mornings, and late nights.
“Those who have helped me with crazy ideas or dirty jobs.”
The cafe’s company will continue with their businesses at The Little Man at Founders & Co on Wind Street in Swansea, The Little Man Garage on Tudor Lane in Riverside, and with deliveries and their sister wine company.
Rob is still particularly gutted about this particular coffee shop’s closure.
He added: “I thank the creative folk who displayed their ‘art in the bar’ on our big wall – always making the shop interesting, colourful, and unique.
“I feel sadness that shop 1 found itself in a regenerating area of now empty new units and vacant old buildings, and I bet 20p that further ‘redevelopment’ will come soon enough.”
The Little Man’s sister wine company, Chilled and -Tannin, is set to be releasing their first vintage in October which has been described as “surprisingly ok” by the wine’s maker.
Products still being delivered by The Little Man include alternative milks, soft drinks, “Who Gives A Crap” toilet paper, and other “stuff” to homes and businesses.
So, for Rob, “it’s not the end of the world – just different to the one we’d hoped for.”
However, his Instagram post still brought an influx of comments from users expressing their devastation of the news.
One customer who said he had been using the cafe for ten years as a place to calm his nerves before interviews wrote: “It was where I came to settle the pre interview nerves and soon changed into part of my routine every week.
“So many times I would have often have a great conversation about all manner of topics with with a quality coffee and breakfast to boot.”
Another who regularly did work at the site said: “It really felt like such a warm, welcoming creative space to set up camp.
“You’ll leave a huge corner shaped hole in Cardiff, but know you will continue to do brilliant things.”
A third added: “You’ve been absolute pioneers through shop 1 in the coffee community with the huge offering of coffees.”
The Little Man Coffee Co is not the only beloved food or drink venue that has faced economic challenges, having to succumb to pressures by closing down.
