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02
Jun 2020
Ripon cafe takes tentative step towards opening
Ripon city centre cafe Oliver's Pantry is welcoming customers once more with the launch of a takeaway service - and aims to do more in the coming weeks.
For owners Tim and Lou Grant, the hope, along with other businesses in the hospitality sector, is for social distancing restrictions to ease from the current two metres to one metre.
They are planning for the day when customers can sit in to eat the buns, cakes, pastries and meringues upon which the cafe has built its reputation.
Lou told The Stray Ferret:
She added:
Things have gone well and Lou and Tim and are quietly optimistic, while also being realistic as they adapt to the 'new normal' that will see them having to reduce the number of tables they have by approximately half to comply with the two metres of distance rule.
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The couple celebrate the eighth anniversary of running Oliver's Pantry next month and will continue with their Wednesday to Sunday service between 10am and 3pm each day. They hope that members of the team currently on furlough will be able to start returning as business builds up again.
During lockdown, the Grants put many messages of hope in the window of the North Street cafe and have kept in touch with customers daily through social media, including cookery demonstrations run on line by Lou. She said:
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