A popular East Lothian Cafe has taken to social media to announce their sudden and unexpected closure, due to a lack of local support and rising food costs.
Macanta Cafe in Musselburgh shocked customers on Sunday after taking to Facebook to make the announcement that was soon followed by a flood of tributes and reactions from locals.
They posted: "End of an era... We come with very sad news that today is Macanta's last day of trading. We would like to thank all of our customers for their support and lover over the past year and a half."
The business has struggled through the pandemic, having only opened in August 2020, meaning another local shop has fallen victim to the ruthless ways of Covid-19.
The owner of the Cafe, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Edinburgh Live: "It's basically due to the rising costs of everything food etc and the lack of customers during the week. We were busy from Friday to Sunday but sadly no longer covers running costs so we had to make the sad decision to close down before we fall into a worse situation. also the energy prices have increased dramatically."
The cafe was popular amongst locals for their sit-in and takeaway food and breakfast, but the owner admitted that food delivery services also played a big part in their closure.
They added: "We offered Just Eat services and Deliveroo which Just Eat also take a big commission on the services we were using, which didn't help."
After the sudden announcement was made on the weekend, a barrage of thoughtful and disappointed comments followed.
One user said: "So sorry to hear this and concerned that it seems so sudden. You were a great addition to Musselburgh."
Another added: "Thank you for your little window coffee shop getting us through lockdown with coffee and cake. Thank you for helping me become a dog owner who can still have coffee and cake. All the best for the future."
There were almost two hundred similar comments on the post, all thanking the cafe for their help and great service, but despite the help of many, they could not save the business.
Another user said: "So sad to hear this. Loved bringing my family in wen they were visiting. The staff were always so great with my toddler too. Wishing you all the best."
