Having established themselves as entrepreneurial and forward-thinking, the Reays, who’ve run The Channel since 2008, now picked up the challenge of running a local cafe, which they renamed Cafe Weymouth.
Standing empty for months, including over the Olympics, the premises on Gloucester Street were in a sorry state. Chris and his mother Sandra decided the cafe needed an entirely fresh start, beginning with a new name.
“It’s a cafe and it’s in Weymouth,” explained Chris. The name also sits squarely with their approach to marketing their guesthouse. “We promote Weymouth,” said Chris. “That brings the guests to us, and also to our neighbours.”
Cafe Weymouth focuses on local trade
While their guesthouse business often draws in customers from overseas, the cafe’s target market is much closer to home. Despite having been open for only a few weeks, locals who work nearby have already become regular customers.
The appeal is easy to spot. The decor is fresh and bright, the furniture clean and simple. And environmentally friendly, Sandra is quick to point out. It’s made from rubberwood, trees that have already spent twenty years producing sap used in latex. With one commercial life over, they’ve been recycled into tables and chairs.
Being opposite the Park Street car park ensures a steady trickle of out of town customers. Others come because they have heard good things being said about what’s on offer.
A Dorset cafe serving Dorset fare
It’s the menu that often makes or breaks a cafe. At Cafe Weymouth, they seem to have cracked the challenge of serving food that’s produced very locally, while keeping prices extremely competitive.
Their Dorset breakfast, initially developed in the guesthouse, is a firm favourite. Eggs, bacon and sausages have all been carefully sourced from within the county. And they’ve made their selections carefully - Chris and Sandra are not afraid to call themselves foodies. If you want to add tomatoes and beans, that’s fine, but they’ll point out that neither of these come from Dorset.
For late risers, the Dorset Breakfast is served until 2pm. And for those who can’t be disconnected from the internet, the cafe offers free wifi.
This Dorset seaside town needs more businesses like The Channel Guesthouse and Cafe Weymouth. Businesses that are not afraid to promote affordable quality, and who are willing to link their own success closely to that of the town.
You can follow Cafe Weymouth on Twitter, where it's @Cafe_Wey.
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