DG Café regrets to announce that it will permanently close its doors at 12 Cornfield Road, Eastbourne on 22 May 2026 following the collapse of lease negotiations with landlord. DG Café has proudly operated from the premises since January 2011 and has spent more than 15 years serving the Eastbourne community, becoming a well-known independent local business and meeting place for customers, families, visitors, and friends. For more than two years, the business attempted to negotiate a fair and workable long term lease agreement whilst continuing to serve the Eastbourne community under extremely difficult circumstances. Despite those efforts, the landlord has now formally withdrawn from negotiations and demanded vacant possession of the premises. Formal notice was received by DG Café on 18 May 2026, giving the business just four days to vacate the property. During this period, the business also endured repeated flooding, ongoing leaks, and continued property-related issues which caused disruption, damage, and significant financial losses. Despite repeated requests, the landlord refused to properly resolve the ongoing leak and flooding issues or reimburse the business for the losses incurred as a direct result. DG Café understands that other independent businesses previously operating from the building have also experienced significant difficulties relating to the property and lease arrangements over the years. DG Café is deeply saddened that an established independent business, supported by loyal local customers and the wider community, has been forced into this position after years of uncertainty and operational difficulties. Due to the extremely short notice provided to vacate the premises, the business has unfortunately not had sufficient time to secure alternative premises and continue trading without interruption, however, “watch this space”. If you have any suggestions, please contact us .From today until our final trading day on 22 May 2026, DG Café will be operating on a reduced service basis whilst we manage the difficult process of vacating the premises. As a small gesture of appreciation to our loyal customers and community, all coffees during this period will be provided free of charge (FOC), whilst stocks and operational capacity allow. We believe this closure represents a significant loss not only to our team, but also to the wider independent business community within Eastbourne. We would like to sincerely thank every customer, family, friend, and supporter who stood beside us throughout this incredibly difficult period. Your support has meant everything to us. Customers are kindly requested to regularly review the DG Café website over the coming days for further updates and developments. For customers who have paid deposits for advance bookings, events, or who hold gift vouchers, a dedicated process and update procedure will shortly be published on the website explaining how these matters will be handled moving forwards. We encourage everyone to continue supporting independent local businesses wherever possible during increasingly challenging trading conditions. DG Café would love to welcome customers for one final visit before we close our doors on 22 May 2026.The Management.
