Fresh businesses sparking a shopping street revival

There have been concerns about the loss of HSBC and Barclays Bank in the Market Place, as well as M & Co and the Red Cross shop in Southgate, and most recently Animal Magic pet shop in Westgate announced it was closing due to the rising cost of supplies.

However, Westgate is seeing the green shoots of a revival. Stuart Frost, who runs Casa 17 Mediterranean restaurant, believes there are reasons to be hopeful.

He said the closure of long-established Animal Magic was a blow to the street: “The restaurant has been through a difficult period like most small businesses in the area. However we have managed to keep things going and stay open and other independent businesses are moving in doing different things.

“The old tattoo shop is now a vintage record shop with a good following and the Scissorhands hair salon is now a new dog grooming business.”

Agnieszka Bomba-Zach has opened up Dog Grooming by Agnes after previously being based at the Pet Shop Girls in Bristol Arcade, eventually becoming self-employed.

Agnes said she had needed more space to develop with capacity to take on an employee and have a customer waiting room and business is already picking up.

She said: “I offer a wide range of dog grooming services – baths and nail clipping, full grooms, hand stripping, modern coat styling trends like Asian fusion and ultrasonic teeth cleaning.”

Meanwhile Animal Magic’s premises is set to be taken on by the popular Happy Crafters cooperative of 24 local makers selling unique, handmade gifts, fronted by Stuart’s wife, Nicola. It is due to be officially opened on September 2 by the mayor, Coun Anthony Brand.

It will include a small coffee shop area for customers and they will have monthly crafter demonstrations.

Nicola, who still works as a teacher, runs her own home-based business, Kinder Soaps making soaps and creams. She started up the crafters over two years ago as way for them to save money on booking fees when just starting out, visiting local markets and village halls to trade their wares, from cushions to ceramics, glassware to greeting cards. They do a monthly pop-up market in Sleaford.

Nicola said they will share the bills and the workload: “Some of the crafters live on their own and some suffered social anxiety due to lockdown and have really come out of themselves - it has been great to see.”

On Casa 17, Stuart said: “My daughter Jessica has now taken over the kitchen as head chef after working alongside me for two years following her apprenticeship. We have decided to offer Greek meze to share or a la carte, still with the same service and Casa 17 twist. The time was right for me to step aside and let her do what she is brilliant at."

Jessica has also trained in Portugal and at the Savoy in London.

They have also diversified into outside catering with the Legionnaires Club as a regular client.