We are sad to announce the closure of Four Square Park Café in Edinburgh’s Saughton Park. After three years of operating the café, we have made the difficult decision to close, as we have been unable to find a sustainable way forward for the business.
The Four Square Park Café was established as an ambitious venture to create a beautiful space where local people could meet and celebrate. It was also a key part of our fundraising strategy, generating income to support people who are homeless across the city.
Jane Devine, our Chief Executive, said:
“Closing Four Square Park Café is a decision we have not wanted to make. We have worked for three years to make the cafe a success, and we are incredibly proud of what it has achieved.
“The café has been about community and providing a beautiful space for people to come together, celebrated some of life’s most important occasions and it has given more than 20 young people the opportunity to take their first steps into employment.
“Sadly, despite everything the café has contributed socially, we have not been able to make the business financially viable. Despite support from the City of Edinburgh Council, Friends of Saughton Park and the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, we have carried losses for three years, and even a glorious summer has not brought the level of sales needed to sustain the café.
“As a charity, we have a responsibility to manage our resources carefully, and we cannot continue to absorb these losses indefinitely.
“We are immensely grateful to everyone who has supported the café, worked in it, volunteered in it, celebrated in it and made it part of their lives. We will always be proud of its social impact.
“We hope that someone with a fresh perspective and an innovative approach to running a park café will see the potential in this wonderful space and find a way to make it work for the local community.”
The café closes at midday on Wednesday 11th November.
Our other social enterprise, Edinburgh Furniture Initiative (EFI) on Gorgie road, is unaffected by these changes and continues to operate as normal as does the rest of the charity.
