The States is looking to remove leaseholders Belmiro and Manuela de Freitas and has appointed Pearl Oyster Ltd, which runs Coco at South Esplanade and Lola in Market Square, as the new tenants.
But the cafe reopened on Wednesday, and while Mr de Freitas said he was unable to comment due to the ongoing court proceedings, one of his regulars, Andie Lewis, said she had been told why he had taken the decision to reopen.
‘He told us he came down on Sunday to check on things and the place was absolutely mobbed,’ she said.
‘People recognised him immediately and asked if they could get coffees and use the toilets. Apparently he was given legal advice that said he could do it.’
While the cafe was closed, so were the public toilets, leading to several people expressing their annoyance on social media, but these will be open along with the cafe this weekend.
Mrs Lewis and her husband Peter had gone straight to the cafe after finding out that it was open again.
‘It’s fantastic,’ she said when she heard the news. ‘All of our grandchildren have never known this place not open.’
Mrs Lewis was behind a 3,500 name petition, which was presented to States Property Services last year.
‘We live just along the cliff path and 20 years ago we were watching Manuela doing the guttering,’ said Mr Lewis.
An architect by profession, he said his prediction that the cafe would not work had been proven wrong.
The couple said the cafe had become a community hub and they did not like the idea of it being taken over, nor the suggestion that the States were looking to add one or even two storeys to the building.
‘That’s upsetting so many people,’ said Mrs Lewis.
She said that they had been told by one senior politician that the plans would be unlikely to get permission.
Mr Lewis said that even if the States succeeded in evicting the couple, perhaps they could be allowed to continue running the cafe until the plans were submitted and approved, otherwise it could be closed all summer.
Both of them had been regulars at the cafe for years and took members of their family along when they visited.
Yesterday they were joined by daughter Dawn Lake, her son Matt Boyce and his girlfriend Nikita Da Silva.
‘The walk down here is magical,’ said Mrs Lake.
‘But you always need a stop at the end of a walk. The food is amazing.’
Other regulars enjoying a bite to eat nearby were holidaymakers Phil and Melinda Hayden from north London, who had been visiting the cafe for about 10 years, while friends Paul and Lin Crispin from Hertfordshire were visiting it for the first time.
‘The location is just fantastic and finding it open was just lovely,’ said Mr Hayden.
‘This is our place of calmness and wellbeing.’
The States has previously stated that the lease on the cafe ended in October last year.
It declined to comment further with the ongoing proceedings, but it did confirm that Pearl Oyster was still committed to taking on the cafe.
‘We will be able provide a substantive update following the conclusion of the court process, including any implications for the level of offering at the cafe this summer,’ said a spokesman.
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