Popular Coventry cafe saved from closure after community campaign

[dutchman]

The cafe is popular with locals and students alike



A popular Coventry cafe has been brought back from the brink, just weeks after they announced they were having to close down.

In early January, bosses at Jin’s Cafe Express announced that they were set to close down, as their landlord had exercised the right to end their lease early.

However, after a campaign and petition launched by cafe regulars, it appears as though the cafe won’t be forced to close after all.

Located in Cannon Park Shopping Centre , the decision to end the lease early was made by the former owners of the centre, supermarket giant Tesco.

A spokesperson for Jin’s said: “We’re facing closure because the landlord, Tesco , has exercised its right to invoke a break clause in our lease.

“To be fair to Tesco, they were legally entitled to do so. It was a mutual break clause which meant that we were also able to serve notice on Tesco, had we wished to end the lease.

“Soon after this decision another Ireland-based landlord, E and S Coventry ironically, took over Cannon Park Shopping Centre but upheld Tesco’s decision.”

News of the planned closure shocked the local community, who rallied to save the cafe, which has occupied the shopping centre for the last eight years.

It is unclear what caused the shopping centre owners to do a U-turn, but Jin’s were able to confirm last week that despite initially being set to close in mid February, this is no longer the case. They said: “It’s been a roller coaster week at Jin’s but we’re delighted to confirm that Cannon Park Centre has invited Jin’s Café to stay on.

“A huge ‘thank you’ to all of our supporters on these pages - so many truly fabulous comments on here - and to everyone who wrote and planned on our behalf.”

We were unable to contact Cannon Park Shopping Centre owners ES Coventry Limited for comment.

[rebbonk]

People power in action.