The cosiest spot for a cup of coffee in Nottingham will not be reopening its doors.
With such a small space, social-distancing restrictions would not be possible at the Coffee House of Nottingham, a charming little spot hidden away in Hurts Yard.
Owners Anna Naliato and her husband Alder Santos, from Brazil, travelled halfway around the world to run the business after buying it off eBay three years ago.
The couple, who were living near Sao Paulo, made an offer based on emails and a video of the premises made by the former owners.
Arriving in the UK, they instantly fell in love with the snug but characterful cafe which has a couple of seats downstairs and limited space upstairs.
Since lockdown Anna and Alder have been selling coffee beans online and have pledged to continue to do so.
But today they announced on the coffee shop's Facebook page: "After a lot of thought, we've made the decision of not renewing our premises lease.
"We love our cosy little place and we know you do too. However, with the current social distancing restrictions keeping the business in such small space would not be possible.
"We may find a new charming place in the future but for the moment we'll continue to offer our beloved coffee beans online, making sure everybody can safely have high quality coffee at home.
"Please don't be sad as we are not. We had three lovely years in our adored shop and could meet and chat with such great people and make new friends.
"Since the pandemic started we've received amazing support from our customers and our online business is thriving. We appreciate all you have done for us and we promise to carry on delivering great coffee and always new beans to try!
"Also, you have asked before if one day we decided to sell our furniture and decorative items to let you know so that's the opportunity! Everything is for sale and will be available as an online auction soon."
Customers said they were saddened by the news.
Kevin Hartley, himself a former Nottingham cafe owner, said: "My wife is very sad because of all the lovely gluten-free food that you do."
Another fan said: "This is sad news but is understandable in the current time."
"I will really miss coming in. Your coffee and ciabattas are both amazing and it was such a lovely little place to hide away. Best of luck in whatever you do next!" added another.
It's the second small business to announce permanent closure this week. Dukki, the quirky Nottingham souvenir and gift shop in St James's Street, will not be reopening as the landlord plans to sell the property.
