A devastated Edinburgh couple have made the decision to close their ‘dream come true’ business venture.
Anya and Liam Macari recently opened up The Strawberry Box at Drumsheugh Gardens – a coffee box offering handmade chocolate-covered strawberries and light lunch options.
However, around a month ago, the pair decided to list the box on the market and said they have two reasons for doing so.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Anya said the decision comes after her health was starting to become worse and running the cafe was becoming “too much”.
The spot was the couple’s next step in their hospitality career after they started up their own confectionary business from their home kitchen during covid.
Following the closure, Anya confirmed their online services will continue and they hope they will be able to return to the business.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, she said: “The journey has been amazing – it’s been a dream come true for us.
They offered handmade chocolate-covered strawberries and light lunch options
“The reason we have come to this decision comes in two parts, the first being that I am disabled and my health has just been getting worse over the past couple of months.
“The second is the physical side of it all and keeping a little cafe open has become too much from the perspective of people not realising how much actually goes into running it from 7.30am to 3pm.
“It was just waring my body down a bit and getting difficult from that perspective.
“The cafe did work really well but it was beginning to ware my body down a bit and it started to get really difficult.
Anya and Liam were hoping to be “smart” about the decision and say they are sad to see so many businesses closing across Edinburgh.
Anya added: “I think it was a great start for us in the hospitality industry. It really served as well and if we were to return, it would hopefully be to a bigger premises.”
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Releasing a message on social media, the team said: “Hello lovely strawberry lovers. We know many of you have been wondering why our little police box has been quiet these past couple of weeks, so we wanted to share some important news with you all.
“Our police box will be closing permanently at the end of this month. After a period of ill health and facing the current economic challenges in hospitality, we’ve made the difficult decision to step back from our physical location.
“But here’s what we want to know – we are SO incredible grateful for every single person who has supported us over these amazing five months. You’ve made this journey absolutely magical, and we’ve learned so much along the way.
“This is NOT goodbye! The Strawberry Box is simply moving online while we plan our next chapter. You can still get our delicious hand-decorated strawberries through our website or by sliding into our dms.”
You can find out more about the Strawberry Box here.