Boston Tea Party, the family-owned independent cafe group that opened its very first cafe here in Bristol, 30 years ago this year, has announced it will be closing one of its cafes in the city this week.
After 14 years, the Stokes Croft cafe will be closing its doors for good. The team at the venue, which is located on the bustling Cheltenham Road in the former site of both a garage and creative space, shared a post to Instagram on Thursday (January 16) to announce the news.
The post read: “We’ve been in Stokes Croft for 14 years. We’ve been proud to be part of such a tight knit, loyal community of independent cafes, bars and shops for so long.
“Across the industry, we continue to face challenges outside of our control. With our lease nearing its end, we’ve made the difficult decision to close BTP Stokes Croft. We’ll be opening for the last time from 8am to 4pm on Wednesday 22nd January.
“To our customers – a huge thank you to everyone who has made BTP Stokes Croft the local hub that it’s become over the years. We’d love to see you this week for a final cuppa in our cafe, and you’re guaranteed a warm welcome in our other Bristol BTP cafes too (Gloucester Rd, Whiteladies Rd, Park St and Cheswick Village).
“And to our amazing Stokes Croft team – thank you. Thanks to you, BTP Stokes Croft became more than a cafe. It has been a place for team and community to connect & be part of something special.
“We’re now working with our team to find them new opportunities in other BTP cafes so keep an eye out for their familiar faces. Cheers to you, Stokes Croft.”
Taking to the comments section, fans and locals alike were quick to share their sadness at the news. One said: “That is such a loss! You guys have been our most favourite cafe for several years. Stokes Croft won’t be the same without you!”
A second dubbed it “the worst news ever”, adding: “Have met the best people here and am going to miss seeing your lovely faces every morning.”
Meanwhile, teams from other Boston Tea Party branches – of which there are now 23 cafes, predominantly in the South West of England – also joined in with comments. BTP Park Street, the original Boston Tea Party location, wrote: “We love you Stokes! So much love from the Park Street team.”
While the Chichester, Plymouth and Taunton branches also sent their ‘love’, with a flurry of loveheart emojis.