A Letter from Mr Folk, Didsbury...
The lovely people at Folk, on Burton Road, West Didsbury have returned from Ibiza and as well as planning a WestFest extravaganza, Mr Folk has been very busy...
Plans are afoot for an extension to the weekend opening hours, but mindful of the concerns that this may raise in the neighbourhood, Justin has asked that we publish the following, to allay any fears that people might have when they hear the news:
Dear Residents and fellow business owners of West Didsbury,
As some of you may already know, Folk is applying for an extension to its licensing hours, from 11pm closing to midnight. I would like to outline the reasons for this change, and also to inform you of some of the ethos behind Folk.
We all know Burton Road is a wonderful area to live, but it does not follow that it is a wonderful area in which to to run a small, independent business. We have seen many small businesses come and go over the last few years, and I know for a fact that many businesses here today struggle to survive. Folk included.
As property prices have dramatically risen so have commercial rents, yet the number of people out and about (footfall) has dropped. Shopping habits have changed and many people do not support their local places, instead choosing to shop out of town, or take their trade to the bigger chains. Working with Didsbury Life, and other local businesses, we want to change this trend.
As far as Folk goes, in the first three years of business our rent doubled. As we have got busier and more popular we have hired more staff. The way our business has changed from deli to cafe means we now have a huge VAT bill every three months. In short, we are not actually making a profit.
However, we are not interested in trying to make a fortune here. Instead, we're interested in a decent quality of life for all who work here, and trying to make Folk a place we are proud of and would visit ourselves.
We do not wish to cut corners on the quality of our stock, or cut down on staff thus offering inferior service. We could, like some businesses before us, choose to close in the daytime, and just open from 6pm. This would definitely make more profit, but Folk as a hub of the community would be no more. Burton Road would become more of a ghost town by day, shutters down.
We think that the extra hour of trade would make a difference. We are not going for 1am or 1:30am. We would still be one of the earliest closing places on the street.
We are asking for your support. Help us keep Folk alive, and in turn help keep Burton Road alive.
Please let us know your comments via Didsbury Life, or email info@folkcafebar.co.uk or pop in and tell us in person.
Yours truly
Justin