Further to the coverage we received in the Hampshire Chronicle, I would like to write to thank all the community that has come out to support the Handlebar Cafe at this tricky time.

The Garnier Road closure has had a massive impact on us.  Far more than we anticipated.  Our bin collections have been left, our suppliers have struggled to get deliveries through and customers have not known whether there is access, parking or not.

We understand the bridge needs replacing but the disruption and the impact have been huge.  We would love to know if we can claim compensation but have yet to find a way for the question to be answered, let alone, if we are likely to receive anything or not.

Hampshire Chronicle: The Handlebar Cafe teamThe Handlebar Cafe team (Image: Adele Bouchard)

There was a slight misquote that I thought it best to correct, we lost £10k in the first three months of the closure, not the first three weeks!  We just wanted the readership to know.

For now, we will plod on and do our best.  The car park is set to be closed again for the crane to return, week of October 2.  

We just wanted to say thank you to all the regulars and new customers who have made the effort to get to us, to support the cafe and keep us going.  

And a thank you to the Chron, for all the profile.  It all is so appreciated.  THANK YOU.

On September 28, The Handlebar Café will have been open for four years.  We will be celebrating and hope we have lots of visitors.

Heather Evans

Director of Bespoke Biking CIC

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