Cafe in Falmouth Java struggling to survive first season

Mum of two Helen Johnson took over the running of the former Lawrance's Café and Cocktail bar on Events Square in May, renaming it Java with a similar offering.

The café was previously run by Phil Lawrance and Lucy Curnow who announced in May that it was closing its two other outlets in Truro but selling the lease on the Falmouth one.

Helen says Events Square has been very quiet during the summer (Image: Supplied)

However, new owner Helen says a post on Facebook that they were closing the business may have confused people and she just wanted to make it clear that her business was open.

“I took over in May on the understanding that the last two years had been phenomenal,” she said. “But it’s been just awful. Since the start it’s been bad.

“During the sea shanty festival it was amazing, and I thought this is what summer’s going to be like. But over the summer we wouldn’t see anybody for hours. Events Square was really dead.

“The summer is supposed to be our busiest season, but it’s been completely dead, Falmouth Week was the worst.

The cafe offers coffee and cocktails (Image: Supplied)

“I have had some people come in and say we thought we saw that the business was closed. I think people were confused by the Facebook post they [the former leaseholders] put up on the day they left. I just want people to know we are still open, and we’d love to see more people.”

Helen, who formerly worked at a school for ten years before taking over the leasehold, said the confusion had been devastating to her.

She said on some days business was down by about 65% to 75% and they wouldn’t see anybody for hours. She added that things had become so bad she has had to let what staff she had go and run things herself.

Helen said she desperately needs more customers, or she won’t last much longer given the damage that’s been done, along with a bad summer season.

She said evenings were "very, very” quiet and she was only going to be able to open on Saturday evenings from now on.

In June the BBC reported that tourism in the South West is at its "lowest point for ten years", according to a regional industry expert.

Tim Jones, chairman of the South West Business Council, said firms were facing continuing challenges with staffing, and the cost of living crisis was affecting visitor numbers.