Hartside cafe

[Cyril Haearn]

There’s a much better cafe at the bottom of the hill in Melmerby

Suits me, I much prefer cycling uphill
After riding down I would be in a bad state and in need of comfort food + drink

[100%JR]

There’s a much better cafe at the bottom of the hill in Melmerby

Suits me, I much prefer cycling uphill
After riding down I would be in a bad state and in need of comfort food + drink

...and that comment constitutes resurrecting a thread not posted in for 3 months

You seem to do this.Are you trying to up your post count

[Cyril Haearn]

There’s a much better cafe at the bottom of the hill in Melmerby

Suits me, I much prefer cycling uphill
After riding down I would be in a bad state and in need of comfort food + drink

...and that comment constitutes resurrecting a thread not posted in for 3 months

You seem to do this.Are you trying to up your post count

Not especially, just wondering if there is any news
I may be going by soon

[Ivorcadaver]

Passed it on Monday, still looking very burnt out with no roof. Worth a quick check that brakes are in good order before the descent down to Melmerby...........

[oldmanonabike]

I understand that the cafe is now up for sale

[100%JR]

I understand that the cafe is now up for sale

Yes £300k according to the ads on social media.Looking at it you could then spend three times that rebuilding it!

[Cyril Haearn]

Thread revived for comparison with cafe project in France

[Graham]

The (possible?) new owner sent this by email . . . . . . .

I’m after a little bit of information regarding the C2C route via Hart
side area.

I’m struggling to find any sort of information on how many ( roughly )
push bikers and motor bikers do this route every year & also when the peak
time is to do the C2C route.

I ask because we’re in the middle of buying Hart side Café and plan on
reopening it in 2020 as an ironic new café & having an approx. number for
people passing the café would be fantastic for our business plan.

Any information at all would be very much appreciated!

Thank you
Yours Sincerely
Tom Dixon

An ironic cafe would be great - cyclists love irony.

[Cyril Haearn]

Iconic is worse
What are push bikes?

[foxyrider]

Iconic is worse
What are push bikes?

The ones you see in old photos from the 50's outside factories - workmen invariably pushing bikes!

By contrast, the nurses on a Sunday evening in the East End do actually ride their bikes,

[Flinders]

When there are so many (reasonable) gripes about cafes not wanting to serve cyclists, it'd be nice to think that someone on a cycling forum like this would encourage this chap trying to open the place up and wish him luck. Just shows where this forum has ended up, doesn't it? Carping at a regular poster for posting at all, and then taking the whatsit out of someone actually trying to do something positive because of what's highly likely to be a typo in very friendly note.

Anyway, if he reads this, good luck, and if you open it up and I'm passing, I will drop in, though I'd be driving up to Northumberland as I do once or twice a year rather than cycling ('cos I'm an unfit wuss).

[eileithyia]

I for one wish him good luck, to have the cafe back would be awesome... hopefuly he realises it is not just C2Cers who use the cafe but lots of other cyclists in differing capacities. Safe covered are for bikes would be great. Some basic tools spares etc also. Food other than just fried / chips with everything .. so healthy options please.

[Paulatic]

Their biggest customer by a long shot will be wearing leathers and a full face helmet. If they can’t get their burger and chips it will struggle.
To be honest the last twice I’ve got there and think well it’s downhill from here to Alston I’ll not bother stopping. Going the other direction, which I’ve not done for more than 20 yrs, I’d probably think well it’s downhill from here to Melmerby.
I do wish the new owners luck though and if they offer better fare than the last incumbents then maybe I’ll stop and try it.

[geocycle]

It desperately needs a new owner, looks a real eyesore now. It was always an ok-ish cafe in a fantastic location. There have always been cyclists, motorcyclists and car drivers when I have called. One plus point was that they had an open door policy for those of us that might have become less than fragrant in our appearance!

[100%JR]

Surely any potential buyer would be able to look at the previous owners accounts to see how much business the Cafe was getting?I know I wouldn't rely on answers on a Forum if I were shelling out £300k for a burnt-out building that will need another £100k+ spending on it to refurbish.
It is/was quite well known in the cycling/motorcycling communities but putting a figure on the best/worst times for trade considering where it is would depend on weather/seasons etc.I would guess,like most other Cafes in rural areas,it will be busiest through the Summer.
The last time I/we were there it was a wet/windy day in September and there were a few others in there.We were only there for 30 mins or so mid-morning so I have no idea what it was like the rest of the day.IIRC there were three or four staff so they must expect to clear their wages.
I don't recall seeing any other cyclists on the ascent from Melmerby or the descent into Alston.
The time previous to that was also September and we saw 1000s of cyclists....because the ToB had a stage finishing at the Cafe