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More on KentOnline
A couple who opened a coffee shop this month are fearful their dream of creating a thriving social hub for the community is now in tatters.
Only last weekend, Matestone in Maidstone was packed with artists, professionals and musicians enjoying pastries from Ashford and coffee brewed in Medway.
However, the High Street coffee bar is now deserted after Boris Johnson ordered yesterday that all bars and restaurants shut.
Despite the Government pledging to help small businesses, George Spencer, who runs the cafe with Sandra Lemke, is concerned the business will not regain its customer base, after opening on March 9.
Mr Spencer, a former mortgage advisor for NatWest, said: "The closure is heartbreaking for us. For a lot of people we serve, it is the only place they have found which is like a home.
"A lot of them have family issues or personal issues. One is a recovering alcoholic and we were able to provide somewhere for him to feel safe and comfortable and spend valuable time with people."
"We have got fruit and vegetables which is just going to rot. We have got quite a lot of money invested in the food so we are going to freeze what we can and give the rest to a local charity for the homeless."
On March 17, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a business rates holiday for firms in the hospitality sector as well funding grants up to £25,000 for small businesses.
The Government is also set to pay 80% of wages for staff who would have been made redundant because of the economic downturn caused by coronavirus.
It will cover wages of up to £2,500 a month.
However, Mr Spencer, 40, says because his business is so new he has not yet received confirmation from Maidstone Council or HMRC that Matestone is even registered as a company yet. He is consequently unsure how to apply for the grants and called for greater clarity on the application scheme.
For now, Mr Spencer is facing an uncertain future and looking at other jobs in supermarkets and volunteering. He has not ruled out a return to mortgage advising, but says it's too early for that just yet.
"There are lots of questions, not just when will this be over and what am I going to do for the next few months, but how can I make sure my partner gets paid? In the short time we were open we built a good reputation and so much good will, but what if those people don't come back, if we re-open?"
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