New Clover Cafe set to open this October on Stone High Street – in the former Apple a Day unit.
Last month Apple a Day closed down their High Street operations as they moved their focus to a delivery service, however, later this month the unit will re-open as the Clover Cafe.
The opening of Clover follows hot on the heels of the opening of The Cakery and Love to Pre Love – bringing new businesses into Stone.
As the new owners prepare to open, we asked them some questions about their new High Street cafe.
Clover is the brainchild of Mother and Daughter team Leanne and Shaylyn assisted by Leanne’s husband Matt.
Shaylyn told A Little Bit of Stone what made them want to open a cafe:
“Mum and I have been dreaming of owning a Coffee shop and working together for years, we love coffee, and the culture surrounding it.
Wherever we go, the number one thing on the agenda is stopping for ‘a nice cup of coffee’ and we know we are not alone in this.
We loved the idea of being able to bring a piece of all our favourite places to our home town.”
We always find it fascinating to find out the backgrounds of the people who decide to move so we asked the duo about their experiences.
Leanne explained her background to us:
“After moving from South Africa I studied and worked for IT-related businesses, based both locally and in London.
My roles were primarily around Relationship Management and Consultancy, and this is where I have grown and established my passion for dealing with and looking after customers.”
Shaylyn has taken a different path from her mum, telling us:
“My first job was at the Greyhound Inn in Burston but since I finished school I studied Arts Management in London before moving to Liverpool to work in hospitality and events.
I recently moving back to Stone to start our business!”
Stone High Street has a good mix of independent and branded retail outlets and a good selection of hospitality businesses. We were keen to learn what drew them to the Apple A Day unit.:
“We were, of course, sad to see that Apple A Day would no longer be on our high street, but as soon as we spotted the sign in the window saying it was available, we were really excited to have a look.
We thought that the size and location of 17a would be perfect for our first business venture!
We chose Stone because we know the town so well and feel it will add further choices for Stone residents and the high street.
Our family emigrated back from South Africa in 1998 and we have been based here pretty much ever since.”
Finally, we asked about what their vision was for the business:
“The saying to be ‘in Clover’ means to be happy and at ease, this perfectly embodies our ethos to serve simple, delicious, wholesome food and amazing coffee, with a warm welcome.
We want to offer all our customers something to smile about, whether that be a perfectly poured coffee, a piece of cake, a takeaway lunch or just somewhere cosy to sit and read the paper.
We are passionate about championing local suppliers and making the most of what our high street has to offer, this will be reflected in our menu along with seasonal changes and customer favourites.
Knowing our customers and forming great relationships with suppliers is really important to us, and we are more than confident that the opportunity to work with local businesses and suppliers from Stone and the surrounding areas will help make it a success.”
Currently, the team are refurbishing the unit, readying it for opening. They’re hoping to be open in the next couple of weeks and you can follow their Facebook page – Clover Cafe – or Instagram @clover.st15 for updates!
