28
May
‘We’re trying to fight’: Knaresborough takeaway owner issues plea to shop local
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A Knaresborough business owner has issued an urgent plea to local people as the prospect of closing looms.
STR8 Jackets, on the town’s High Street, took over a unit formerly occupied by Claro Hairstyles last December.
Owners Emma Wilson and Craig Eastwood, both from York, hit on the idea when she found herself craving jacket potatoes while on holiday in Ibiza.
But just six months after opening, STR8 Jackets issued a statement on social media announcing it was set to close.
The post on May 21 said:
It’s with a heavy heart to announce STR8 Jackets will be closing for good at the end of the month. Thank you to all our customers who have supported us.
STR8 Jackets' shopfront.
The post was flooded with comments, many of which expressed shock and sadness at the closure.
One said:
So saddening to hear this after all the hard work and costs to get it up and running.
Others suggested ways of keeping the business alive, such as a mobile catering van or social media exposure.
Then, in another social media post on Sunday (May 25), STR8 Jackets said it was "fighting to keep going".
The post said:
We are due to close this week, although I'm fighting to keep going. I can only do this with your support, and we have had immense support. Is there anything else we can give? Obviously, our amazing spuds and sandwiches, we [also] have salads. Anything else please let us know - we don't want to go.
There will be a shop phone, you can place and pay for your orders [on the phone] and, if we can, we will bring them out to you.
Please, please share this - we don't want to go. Small businesses rock.
‘This is the last thing we can do’
The Stray Ferret yesterday (May 27) asked STR8 Jackets if it will definitely close and what it is like to run a small business in the current climate.
Ms Wilson told us:
Things have been difficult since we opened in December. Then things were going fine, but they dropped off again.
We set up on Just Eat due to people struggling to park in Knaresborough, but that hasn’t been that successful. I know it’s difficult for people to park in Knaresborough – especially for workmen who just want to grab something quickly – so we’ve put a phone in the shop, so people can place their orders and, where possible, we’ll take their food out to them. This is the last thing we can do.
The future of STR8 Jackets is currently “touch and go”, Ms Wilson said. She added the takeaway is still operating, but if footfall doesn’t increase, she will have “no other option" but to close.
She told the Stray Ferret:
I spent £30,000 on renovating this place, I’ve extended my opening hours on a Friday and we’ve even tried promoting not only our business but Knaresborough as a whole on our TikTok account.
I will try to keep going, but these are my last options.
Ms Wilson said the response to the social media plea has been very positive and STR8 Jackets had been “so busy” yesterday.
“We are here and we’re trying to fight”, she added.
Ms Wilson feels it has “not been easy to run a business on Knaresborough High Street”, but urged people to support local businesses:
Please support local businesses in the area. All I keep saying to people is: ‘support local and keep this High Street going’.
STR8 Jackets, which is open Monday to Saturday, serves jacket potatoes, salads and sandwiches.
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