Popular family-run cafe in busy Northampton town centre street REOPENS

A popular family-run cafe in Northampton town centre has reopened following financial turmoil.

The Sandwich Bar, in Gold Street and Bridge Street, has reopened after recently closing down due to a planned bankruptcy.

Owner Frances Burton was forced to go into a planned bankruptcy due to the knock-on effects of Covid-19 on the firm’s finances.

Sisters Alanna, aged 26, and Kerri Burton, aged 28, have since taken the reigns of the business to allow mum Frances to have a bit more of a backseat following eight successful years in business.

Alanna said: “When we shut through Covid, all the rent still needed to be paid so we’ve been paying that back ever since while paying the increased costs for everything else.

"In the last six months we have been struggling. It was disheartening. We got the business to where it was and it was so disheartening to think it was all over.

"We’re a lovely busy cafe, it was just the knock-on effects of Covid and the costs of stock rising. We just weren’t getting a break.

“We thought we got through it but it had that much of a knock on effect that it’s taken a couple of years to sort.

“The planned bankruptcy happened quicker than we expected hence we weren’t able to give our customers a heads up.”

After some positive talks with the landlord, the sisters have managed to get the cafe in Gold Street open again.

Alanna said: “We thought it could be the end of The Sandwich Bar but we’re just grateful to the landlord for giving me and Kerry a fresh start.

"We didn’t want to see it go. It was a really sad time. We were gutted to think it was the end of us.

“We have a plan in action and it’s now on me and Kerry so mum can take a backseat and put her feet up.”

Alanna added: “We’re really excited. We’ve had so many of our customers come in again. We’re all feeling revamped and ready to go. We love the business and what we’ve built. We feel we’ve built part of the community around us.

"The support we’ve had since reopening has been massively overwhelming. Hopefully it’s a fresh start. It’s still a full on family affair.”