Fermain Bay cafe tenant loses his bid to stay
THE tenant of The Beach Cafe at Fermain will have to leave, after the States confirmed the owner of Coco has won the lease.
Belmiro de Freitas has run the popular kiosk for more than 20 years and had submitted a tender to continue running it after his lease expired in October.
But today States Property Unit confirmed the owner of Coco on South Esplanade and Lola in Market Square had been successful in bidding to run the cafe after a competitive tender process.
It is understood that Mr de Freitas has been informed, but he said he did not wish to comment at this stage.
States Property Unit director of estates Mark Ogier said the applicant was a well established and successful operator.
‘Their plans for the Fermain kiosk gave a clear vision for continued development, with the customer being the constant focus,’ he said.
‘While we are looking forward to seeing the new leaseholder’s plan come to fruition, I would also like to acknowledge the time and effort the incumbent tenant has put into the beach cafe.
‘The result of the tender shows there is room for further development and growth to maximise this unique and sought-after location.’
Detailed terms and conditions of the lease still need to be worked through. It has been confirmed four bids were submitted as part of the tender, and it is understood one was from the current tenant.
But the deciding panel unanimously agreed that the vision put forward by Pearl Oyster Ltd scored highest.
The company’s plan for the area includes introducing new offerings for customers, such as online order for beach users, creating a new sun lounger area near the cafe, increased opening times in the summer months, along with the potential to host private events.
The bid also included substantial investment plans to improve the offering for the community.
‘We are delighted our submission has been selected for the Fermain kiosk and are looking forward to the opportunity of taking it on and bringing to the area a new offering that builds not only what we do at Coco and Lola, but also respects the beautiful setting of the kiosk and the bay,’ a Pearl Oyster Ltd spokesperson said.
‘Fermain is a picturesque location loved by many islanders and visitors alike, and represents an exciting opportunity for us to deliver a fantastic service to the community.’
Nearly 3,000 signatures were gathered earlier this year in a petition to keep the current tenant.
The cafe is expected to stay open until the last weekend in September, depending on the weather.
