Businesses in Cornwall close two days a week to deal with rising energy bills
Several cafés and pubs have changed their opening hours to survive
Last updated 30th Sep 2022
Businesses across Cornwall have started to change their business hours for the winter months to cope with the soaring costs of energy.
A café in Liskeard, which had previously always been open for seven days a week, is one of a few who have said they need to change hours to keep their business afloat in uncertain times.
Marc Boylan, owner of the Fat Frog Café in Liskeard, told us: "I opened up all my spreadsheets and I put together every possible scenario you could think of to try and make it work and this was the only way I could do it, the only way it worked.
"If trade falls off because people can't afford their bills at home then more drastic action will have to be taken by us".
Their café, first founded during the pandemic, has a loyal regular intake of customers. Despite their loyalty, Marc told us it did not add up to stay open for seven days a week if they want to survive the winter.
"It really did worry me. We spoke to people through the time before we closed. We were talking to people like look, we're going to have to do this, and everyone was absolutely supportive and totally understanding of our situation.
"I don't know how long this is going to last".
They're now closing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week for the foreseeable future.
Marc added: "I hope it is short term but to be honest this could go on all the way to Easter I could see when our season starts again and we pick up in trade and the tourists start showing their face again".
Other businesses in Cornwall are also following suit, changing their opening hours during the week, to get through October and the months that follow.
The White Hart at Ludgvan, another pub that relies on a regular influx of loyal customers, has decided to close for two days every week in an attempt to keep afloat.
Posting on Facebook, they wrote: "Many apologies to all our loyal customers, but we hope you understand it's necessary during the current energy crisis".
Mark Gibson, owner of The White Hart, told us: "We have a really loyal, local basis. We've had resistance but once people understand us closing for a few days means it'll stay open".
The pub noticed it was losing money on the first two days of the week it was opening due to an increase cost of bills and prices of stock. They've since updated their opening hours on their website to read: '(Closed on Monday and Tuesday)'.
Mark continued: "Unfortunately in the pub trade, every single thing is running on a high and a premium to make the pub work. We have to close earlier, think about everything really. How we use things, when we turn things on and when we are busy, utilising that time as best as we can".
"This is definitely new".
"Everything has to be tied for the moment to see if we can survive the winter. It's the locals that keep us going and we're very very fortunate to have such people who keep on coming in and supporting us".