Finkins cafe perks up Grantham high street

A major gap in Grantham’s High Street has been filled by a cafe.

Finkins last week opened up in the large empty site that last year contained Wellington’s Kitchen & Bar fish restaurant.

Owner of the new venture is Amy Dixon of the Brunch takeaway on Alma Park, which has just celebrated its first year of successful trading.

Amy’s mum, Karen Middleton, has just closed Cappuccinos in The George Centre and is looking to retire.

Amy told the Journal: “The takeaway has been going really well. We decided a sit-in in town would also go really well.”

Mum Karen confirmed the closure of Cappuccinos but she said:”Finkins is Amy’s baby. I’m looking to retire. She’s took the ropes.

“I have trained her well over the years. Amy has carried on in a different capacity.”

Amy will be helped by husband Luke Dixon, who also has his own Parkour freerunning business.

Already she plans changes to Finkins, such as liqueur coffees and later openings, once they get an alcohol license.

The new venture comes as Cappuccinos still had a notice in its window saying it was being ‘refurbished’.

The closure of the popular and very busy cafe, with the same family opening a similar venture nearby,is a setback for The George, which earlier this year scored a few new tenants.

The centre has also seen a major investment recently in the Feelgood Fitness gym expansion, but it has struggled to fill its many remaining empty units.

A spokesman for its South African owners, who paid £2.8 million for the centre in April 2017, said retailing faced challenges all over the UK.

“We are trying to do everything we can to revive The George Centre. It’s taking time, like turning around a big oil tanker.”

This includes appointing an events company to run events in the centre to boost Christmas trade for tenants.