Hopes of fairytale fresh start at railway station could be over for Northampton's Magic Bean Emporium

The Magic Bean Emporium will likely not reopen after the lockdown lifts.

A magic-inspired Northampton coffee shop that was set for a fresh start at the train station in the same week the lockdown began will likely not reopen.

The Magic Bean Emporium was unable to open for even a week at its new home Northampton Railway Station before the coronavirus lockdown began in March.

Now, the shop's heartbroken owner Michella Dos Santos says she will likely have the vacate her new unit and walk away with nothing.

The coffee shop was only able to trade at its new home at Northampton Railway Station for a week before the lockdown began.

It comes after Magic Bean closed in St Giles Street at the beginning of 2020 in the face of repeated break-ins - before announcing its new home at the railway station soon after.The coffee shop's fresh start was welcomed by the Chronicle & Echo's readers, who poured on support after the announcement.

But now, two months after moving in and without ever having the chance to serve any customers at all, West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway - Michella's landlords - have asked for the full £10,000 in rent for her four-month tenancy at the station.

Michella said: "I feel like I'm cursed. I've had such bad luck.

"It could not have been worse timing. I moved in a week before lockdown. I thought there's no way they will want full pay but I was so wrong.

The empty unit at the railway station had been vacant for more than four years before the Magic Bean moved in.

"They expect rent in full. I have pleaded for a rent reduction as we have had zero turnover.

"I would be happy to pay a storage fee and when we reopen we go back to paying full rent."

It comes after the expensive unit on the ground floor of the train station has been vacant for over four years - but now it is likely it will go back to standing empty.

Since the lockdown, the Government has released a Covid-19 business relief grant and the low-interest 'bounce back loan' scheme.

But Michella says neither would help Magic Bean in the long term, because footfall at the train station is likely to be poor for months even after the lockdown ends.

Michella said: "It's looking very likely that I will have to close and vacate.

"I have lost four months of turnover since leaving St Giles' Street and I have no capital left because I have just kitted out the unit.

"Surely footfall should reflect what you are charging tenants? This is something none of us has ever experienced. These are unprecedented times, and the railway operators are encouraging people not to come in with posters all over the station."

It comes after Magic Bean was also approved as an official seller for Harry Potter merchandise - something Michella says she had been "dreaming of" for years and she was excited to unveil when the coffee shop reopened.

A London Northwestern Railway spokesperson said: “We value the contribution of our retailers to the passenger experience at our stations and we are engaging with our tenants to offer guidance on the support available. We remain in discussions with Ms Dos Santos to find a workable solution in these unprecedented circumstances.”