A move for Birchington Framing Centre and Gallery to Minnis Road had unintended consequences for Lorrain Edwards who now finds herself at the helm of Joe’s Café.
Lorrain and husband Paul have been running the framing centre since 2018 and this year decided to change premises from Station Approach to Minnis Road.
Just a few doors down is Joe’s Café, run by the previous owner Joe Cornell for the last decade who had decided not to renew his lease this September.
Lorrain says she had no plans for a career change but felt the café was too valuable to the community to be lost.
She said: “Just by chance Joe was not renewing his lease and though I wasn’t looking to do a café it planted a seed which grew.
“I have known the café since it opened 10 years ago and like going in there and taking my grandkids.
“It is a community café, sociable and welcoming and I did not want to see it change. Lots of community groups use it, it’s a hub and I wanted to carry that on so I took a decision to take the lease on.”
Fast forward from that initial decision in the Summer to Monday (September 30) and Lorrain is now busy welcoming customers with her staff, cook Stacey and Jodie, who is front of house.
Lorrain, who was formerly a surgery practice nurse before she and Paul launched their business, said: “Everything has fallen into place quite nicely. I have a superb team with Jodie and Stacey, they have good experience and I can learn.
“Paul wanted a smaller workshop and so moved to Minnis Road where he has gone back to printing and framing and this is a whole new venture for me.
“Even though its only been open for a week, there is a really strong team and I’m so grateful to Stacey and Jodie. We have been so busy.”
The café has had some paintwork, a new sign and some ‘rearrangements’ inside where Lorrain has put her own touches in place but other than that “remains much the same.”
Community groups have returned, such as Birchington Ukelele Group, and Lorrain is planning to host events, with private hire of the café also available, and hold cocktail and wine nights and a Spanish night.
Joe’s Café and Bar, at 133 Minnis Road, is open 9am to 4pm (closed Wednesday and Sunday)
Find Joe’s Café on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563961042058
Birchington Framing and Print has now rebranded as Festival Framing and can be found at 149 Minnis Road.
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