The owners of Washington's Hideaway Cafe who were preparing to open in March 2020, just as lockdown hit

Cafe owners who spent months preparing to open their new venture only for it to fall immediately victim to the pandemic are counting down the days until they welcome back customers and get their business up and running.
By Sam Johnson
Published 7th Feb 2021, 06:00 BST
Updated 8th Feb 2021, 16:10 BST

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Hideaway Cafe owners Andy Dewar and Helen Danks.Hideaway Cafe owners Andy Dewar and Helen Danks.
Hideaway Cafe owners Andy Dewar and Helen Danks.

Andy Dewar, 43 and his fiance Helen Danks, 41, from Washington, were all set to open their new venture, Hideaway Cafe, on March 30 2020.

But the pair reckoned without the pandemic, with first coronavirus lockdown on March 23 derailing their plans and putting their dream in jeopardy.

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The pair took over the property in Armstrong Road, in January 2020 and spent the following weeks getting the cafe ready for the big spring opening day which never happened.

Hideaway Cafe, Washington.Hideaway Cafe, Washington.
Hideaway Cafe, Washington.

Hideaway Cafe was finally able to open for the first time last summer as lockdown eased, but the joy was short lived as more coronavirus restrictions soon followed.

Now Andy and Helen are fighting to keep their new business going and are eagerly awaiting a return to normal.

Andy said: “It’s been a really tough year with all the different restrictions but we’re just trying to keep up the best we can.

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"We’re doing takeaway and delivery to keep ourselves going but we’re just counting down the days until we can open up again properly. We’ve really put our heart and soul into this.”

Hideaway Cafe, Washington.Hideaway Cafe, Washington.
Hideaway Cafe, Washington.

Despite the early struggles, Andy said the Hideaway Cafe had a busy summer as customers were keen to see what the new business had to offer.

He added: “It was a massive buzz to open in the summer, it was all really exciting. We can’t wait to get into the swing of things.”

Andy and Helen have long dreamed of starting a hospitality business together and are overwhelmed by the positive feedback they’ve received so far.

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Despite the positives, hospitality has shouldered a lot of criticism for the spread of coronavirus, something Andy believes has been unfair.

He said: “Hospitality has been harshly blamed, especially when you look at the lack of restrictions in places like supermarkets. Right now the important thing is keeping ourselves going and being ready to welcome people back, we’ve really missed seeing some familiar faces.”

For more information on the Hideaway Cafe delivery and collection, visit their Facebook page.

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