Private call with Brian Rose
Watch Brian’s message
Peter Dore-Smith has worked in the hospitality industry for 35 years. Originally from Melbourne, he made his way to the UK and worked at a number of large venues and sporting events, before branching out and creating his own Coffee house empire.
Peter is the proprietor of Kaffeine and runs two busy shops in Fitzrovia right in the heart of London. However, like many small business owners across the world, his livelihood was placed in serious jeopardy earlier this year.
With no tourists and office workers staying at home, London became a ghost town, leaving Peter facing the stark prospect of high rents, eager staff and no income.
Peter knew something needed to be done and rallied Westminster Council to allow more outdoor seating for cafes, restaurants and bars, as soon as the green light to reopen was given.
The council duly obliged and this small victory meant Peter was able to accommodate more customers, allowing him to keep members of staff in work and slowly but surely claw back some of that lost revenue.
However, as winter is upon us and the looming threat of a serious second wave increases, it’s becoming clear that we have to find a better way to support small business owners.
Peter’s a great example of someone who was determined to get the ball rolling again and his strong views and can-do attitude is exactly the kind of resilience we need to get the economy back on track.
