4,780 Sign Petition Against Cafe Takeover

Nearly 5000 people have signed a petition over two weeks in spite of a decision to allow the Golders Hill Park Cafe to be taken over. 

The Refreshment House, which has been run by the same Pazienti family for forty-three years, seemingly lost the battle against catering chain Benugo (when), when "The City of London... decided not to renew the lease."

Owner Andrew Pazienti outside the Cafe

Writing on democratic website Change.org, the family says: This has come as a great shock and sadness to both, the family and customers many of whom are now in their third generation."

"The City of London has failed to take into account the views of their customers and singularly sold out in favour of the large chain. This will inevitably lead to higher prices and rob the customers of their delicious home-made Italian ice-cream," it claims.

And the sentiment has been voiced by former workers and customers on social media. Helena Abreu, who worked for the Pazienti's eight years ago, said "I saw how much heart and soul he put on this place. Don't take that away from him because he doesn't deserve [it]." 

Local journalist Sandy Rashty, who writes for the Jewish Chronicle and won the GG2 Young Journalist of the Year Award last year, also branded the decision a "shambles" on Twitter.  

The order will be seen as a major loss for local family-run cuisine businesses, with local newspaper Ham and High already reporting that City of London Corporation has given Benugo the right to run a Parliament Hill Heath-cafe and one in Highgate Wood. They also published an article in which the sister of Miriam Hyman, who died in the 7/7 bombing, said: "Gathering at the cafe she knew each year makes it more bearable as we support each other... It won’t be the place Mim knew."

A public meeting has been arranged to look at the ruling for Wednesday 6th April at Highgate Civic Centre at 7:45pm, for which the campaign pleads those who care to "come along and show your support."


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note to editors: I wrote this article on Saturday 1 April and, due to the weekend status, have as yet been unable to include a response form the City of London Corporation. Nonetheless, I have emailed their PR: I will update this as soon as I receive one.