The owner of Stonehaven’s Arduthie Tea Rooms has issued a fresh plea for a buyer to save the cafe.
Being on the market for over a year without a sale, owner Leslie Leslie, 64, says that unless someone takes it over the popular tea room will close for good.
Opening to the Aberdeenshire town’s residents in March 2016 – the Arduthie Tea Room has delighted customers with luxury cakes and bakes for eight years.
A change in lifestyle for Stonehaven tea room owner
But running both her tea room and bed breakfast based on Ann Street has taken a toll on both Leslie and husband Rod, preventing them living their active lifestyle.
And now they are hoping for a buyer to take it off of their hands, which would leave them with only the bed and breakfast to run.
Leslie said: “We started to think about our future. We wanted to have a little bit more time for ourselves.
“It has been on the market for about a year now and nothing has happened.
“In that time I have lost my mum, and I have become a grandmother so we don’t have time for it.
“But we don’t want it to stop because it is a really good business and we think it has been a great asset to Stonehaven.
“However, we still have not had any interest and that means we are going to have to stop operations in the tea room after January 2.
‘Lack of interest’ in Stonehaven tea room
“We are expecting a lot of visitors on that day, but after that we will then be closed.”
“We will continue the bed and breakfast in the meantime while we still look for a buyer.”
After the closure of the tea room, Leslie and Rod plan to keep up their active lifestyle of cycling and walking.
She joked that they will take the “student gap year that they never had”.
“We haven’t had a lot of time recently because of the business but we want to get back out while we are still healthy.” She continued.
Tea room ‘a great business’
“We have never had that time so we are hoping to take that opportunity now.”
“it’s a great business, we have been able to keep it going for over six years because it has been profitable.
“The customers of Stonehaven have been wonderful – we have been getting to know them and their stories and it has been great.
“The people have been really supportive – being here has been a delight.”
