Ice cream parlour to close after 'barely breaking even' despite fantastic summer
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AN Inverness ice cream parlour is closing down despite one of the city’s hottest summers.
Coolness, which opened in Castle Street last year, was "barely breaking even" despite having big plans to expand to the rest of Scotland.
It is the latest shop in that prime location to vacate its premises after Tomlinsons Beer Shop closed last month following more than six years of business.
Coolness has occupied the former Nessie’s Arcade, near fast-food chain McDonald’s, since July last year. The shop will be available to lease from the end of this month when the premises will close.
Speaking on behalf of one of the business’s co-owners Adrian Gray, chartered surveyor Grant Stewart said a difficult decision had been taken to shut the shop after poor trading levels.
Mr Stewart, who is marketing the premises, said Mr Gray was out of the country and was therefore unable to confirm job loss numbers.
Mr Stewart said: "The reason for closing is that the business is barely breaking even and as Mr Gray owns the building as an investment, and the internal fit-out was completed to a very high standard, we are hopeful that we can attract a national occupier that can add to the increasing cosmopolitan and varied successful businesses now operating within Inverness city centre."
Mike Smith, manager of Inverness Business Improvement District, said: "It’s very unfortunate that this has not worked out but it is a good site and, as the owner says, it would be good for somebody else to take it up as it is so well fitted-out."
He added: "It’s been a really good summer in terms of visitors but retail remains difficult."
David Richardson, the Highlands and Islands development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses said many local high streets are under pressure and unfortunately on some occasions ventures just do not work out as planned.
"Hopefully a new occupier for the premises can be found as soon as possible," he added.
"The long-term key to the success of our town and city centres is diversity.
"We need independent and chain stores, but also non-retail businesses and public sector employers all choosing to locate in the centres of our local places."
When Coolness opened it joined Miele’s Gelateria in Church Street and the Milk Bar in the Victorian Market to form a trio of ice cream joints in the Highland capital.
Coolness followed the withdrawal of Gallone’s ice cream parlour, which was meant to open in the Castle Street building last summer. Prior to that, the premises had been empty for a number of years.
