Shock move as Cooplands confirm early closure for last remaining Scarborough cafe

The Orchard Cafe, located above the Heron shop on St. Thomas Street has confirmed that it will be closing on Friday, March 31.

In February, The Scarborough News understood that staff were told that Cooplands plan to close the Hull bakery, along with another 41 shops and all cafes.

It’s thought that staff were also told that the shops and cafes would close at the end of June and the mobile food trucks currently based in Hull would in future be based in Scarborough.

Staff will be deployed elsewhere within the Cooplands company, with jobs initially being offered internally.

Today, a Cooplands spokesperson said: “Following an in-depth review of the business, we have proposed to make some changes to both our retail and bakery operations, to help better position the business for long-term and sustainable growth.

“This has been done to ensure that our store estate and broader business are fully aligned with our ‘modern bakery food-to-go retailer’ strategy. As a result, we have entered into a consultation process with a number of colleagues.

“We appreciate that this may be unsettling for colleagues and our priority is to support them fully throughout this process.”

The closest Cooplands stores in Scarborough are located on 1 Queen Street, 103 Westborough and 26 North Marine Road.

Last year, Cooplands’ The Secret Garden Cafe on Westborough closed, before being turned into a Eats & Seats shop.

Staff were retained within the business.