In a string of business closures in the space of a month, three independent venues on Regent Street in Cheltenham have announced that they are closing their doors permanently.
The latest business to close is independent bakery cafe Cake Alchemist, which announced its closure after three years on Monday 30 June 2025.
A message on Instagram from founder Kleopatra Moraiti, said the decision had been made 'with a heavy heart'.
She said: 'Running this coffee shop has been one of the most rewarding and beautiful chapters in my life. These past three years have been filled with hard work, passion and beautiful memories.
'To our lovely customers and supporters – thank you for being a part of this journey. Your encouragement, your smiles and your trust kept us going. Whether you visited once or you were with us from day one your support mattered more than you know.'
She goes on to say that customers will still be able to order their unique occasion cakes as she transitions to working from home.
Cake Alchemist is the third business on the central Cheltenham street to close in June, with The Find kicking off the string of closures on Monday 2 June 2025 after eight years.
It was followed by Domaine 16 which hosted its last dinner service on Friday 27 and sold off all of its equipment on Saturday 28 June 2025.
Founder of 288 Bar & Wok on Cheltenham High Street, Pak Wai Hung, posted a message encouraging followers to support independent businesses on Facebook.
He said: 'It's so sad that two of my favourite restaurants have recently closed. I knew Stephanie (Domaine 16) and David (The Find) personally and I knew that they were passionate and dedicated to their businesses.
'Many small restaurants are run by their owners. We are jovial hosts whilst front of house and plumbers, cleaners and staff counsellors out back. We don't have rich backers and we are constantly worried about our cash flow and the bills. We employ local people, we live locally and we spend locally.
'Cheltenham is blessed with many small independent restaurants, cafes and bars. But our numbers are diminishing. We survived two recessions and a pandemic but recently it's become really difficult for the industry. Rising energy bills, increased ingredient prices and taxes all contribute to our burden.
'I'm not asking for sympathy but ask that this month you make one extra visit to your local independent restaurant, cafe or bar.'
