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A car wash boss fears for his family's future after a supermarket giant gave him just weeks to move his 12-year-old business from its car park.
Blair Isuif has worked tirelessly to establish his hand valet firm in Morrisons car park in Canterbury to help provide for his children.
But in an email last week the retailer’s parking firm ordered the father-of-two to clear off the site by April 12 to make way for electric vehicle charging stations.
Speaking of the prospect of sudden upheaval, the 43-year-old told KentOnline: “I’m feeding my children with this business.
“I’m providing jobs for people in Canterbury, I’ve been serving the community for 12 years.
“If Morrisons want to build those electric vehicle charge spaces there, that’s fine, but it’s a huge car park, they could find another place for us.”
His BLRM franchise has been based at Riverside Retail Park off Ten Perch Road for the past six years, and in January, he signed a five-year deal with the grocery firm to continue.
But his wife received a “devastating” email last week saying Morrisons has activated a 30-day termination clause, giving her husband and his six employees nowhere to operate.
His hairdresser partner Rudina Doci explained: “I was at work when I opened the email, I had a client with me, I was in shock and didn’t know what to do.
“It is devastating for us, for my husband, it is his business, his job, with just 30 days of notice what can you do to prepare?
“He loves his job he works seven days a week, he loves to look after his clients, and now it is being taken away from him - it is very unfair.”
Having been forced to reveal the heartbreaking news to her husband - whose firm was based in Canterbury for six years before moving to Morrisons - Ms Doci described how they have since felt wracked with anxiety and suffered sleepless nights.
She has urged Morrisons to allow her husband to stay put for six months, giving him a chance to find a new site and, in turn, make life much easier for the family.
The email seen by KentOnline from Motor Fuel Group (MFG) - which manages forecourts on Morrisons’ behalf - told Mr Isufi the supermarket giant “intends to redevelop the hand car wash site for electric charging”.
“This, therefore, means that we require the site back, with vacant possession, on April 12 2025.
“Whilst I appreciate this is not the news you wanted to hear, I can confirm that no replacement of hand car wash is going here – it is being totally redeveloped for alternate use.”
Mr Isufi, who commutes 55 miles from the family home in Forest Hill daily, says he has asked to discuss the matter with Morrisons and MFG, but they have declined to engage with him.
He accepts the 30-day contract termination clause is legally binding, however, he stresses he did not believe it would be activated “in a million years”.
Describing the clause as a “rope around (his) neck”, he said: “It’s going to be impossible for us to find a new place to operate - if they don’t let me stay here I’ll be out of business.
“All I’m asking for is for Morrisons to be reasonable and allow me to continue my business in another area of the car park.
“This is very unfair.”
Morrisons and MFG have declined to comment.
