Woolwich pavilion cafe occupant agreed by Greenwich Council
Greenwich Council have agreed a lease for a recently-built cafe at Beresford Square.
According to a report uploaded to the authority’s website “Bob’s Your Uncle Coffee Limited” will take on the unit. They have two outlets in Croydon and Eltham.
It was built as part of a £20+ million town centre project mostly funded via the last government’s Future High Streets programme. In total £17,150,964 was awarded in December 2020.
Another project restored some shopfronts in the town which utilised funding from Historic England.
The Future High Streets project saw General Gordon Square gain planting and a fountain, with market traders now located in a line heading along outside Poundstretcher.
New paving has also been laid along much of Powis Street.
Cafe
Work on the internal design and fit-out works at the pavilion are funded by UKSPF totalling £46,700 according to the council’s report. A guide rent of £15,000 a year was advertised and 28 responses were received.
Despite a dearth of decent late night places in Woolwich and the town centre location, the council only wanted a cafe and not a bar/pub advertising for “an operator of a coffee shop/sandwich bar and/or bistro” with the ability to trade until 10pm at night.
So much for the late night economy and those “late” events they put on last year with funding from the Mayor, with 10pm closing time all but halted any chance of a pub.
Good luck to the new occupants but it does seem a shame this spot and the nearby Gatehouse are not to see an interesting place to grab a late night drink such as a micropub, which is something Woolwich lacks aside from pretty dull chain pubs like the nearby Young’s.
Lack of initiative
The Gatehouse is occupied by Greenwich Enterprise Board with close links to the council. Initially there was talk of a gallery but that was dropped. As a key building framing the square it has potential to offer far more than it does.
The now-closed Equitable nearby was the closest Woolwich has come to a decent pub with live music and events. Imagine a micropub in either the Gatehouse or newly built unit? It would surely have appealed to people across town and beyond drawing people to Woolwich.
An interesting independent micropub could have thrived but the council ensured that wasn’t possible. Instead it’s a coffee shop, though it’s hard not to think couldn’t that have gone in one of the existing town centre units.
Given the council have the ability to offer below market rates (which they’re doing with the cafe lease) that offered further scope for something that could appeal far and wide
But anyway, what’s done is done. Best of luck to the forthcoming coffee shop.
It’s Beresford Square.
A micropub would have required toilets. There’s not enough space for them.
The public toilets in the back of the building are far too small for a busy area.
Yep of course. My brain is frazzled it’s been a long week. Odd they should approved a building without usable toilets for customers. Compromised from the off.
Given there are 5 dedicated coffee shops next to this spot (Gail’s, Starbucks, greggs, charlstons, B Jades) I don’t see it having that much success. For brands you go Gail’s/ Starbucks, for small business you go charlstons/ B Jades and for price you go greggs. There might be high footfall but the quality footfall isnt there. Then don’t forget for a good sit-down you have dial arch, guard house, woolwich works, house of denna.
Micropub wise the only competition is salt so its a good thought. Hopefully whoever is putting up the money has done their research, and got a decent security team.
Last time I passed the Mama2Mama Cafe it had all closed down so I’m not sure there is demand for endless coffee shops in Woolwich.
Though maybe that place could become a micro pub. It doesn’t really need to offer food given all the fast food joints opposite.
Can’t see why they wanted another place to get coffee. Given the building directly next door is being knocked down and its possible a coffee place could go in there is this needed?
A small pub could go into a new building but I’d imagine rents would be super high. As this spot is council led and they can offer rents that aren’t at silly levels it was a chance for something unique. Then again maybe Bob’s will do that we’ll have to see. Fingers crossed.
There are currently 9 places to get coffee up at the Standard (Royal Grill Café, Moca, M&S, Brothers, SOS, the Royal Standard, Boulangerie Jade, the Green Goddess and Mara). You can hold your breath traveling between them, that’s how close they are. If anything, Woolwich has some catching up to do.
“Coffee in Woolwich later?”
“Sure, meet me round the back of the public toilets.”