Hartlepool cafe closes because of Covid-19 but it's still fighting on online

But the owners of Gamers@Hart have emphasised ‘we are down but we are not out’ and are planning to keep the shop going online.

The shop has been in York Road since it first opened six years ago. It was flourishing and had four staff on its book.

But all that changed when Covid-19 hit the world. The pandemic has had a devastating effect with fewer customers allowed in because of lockdown restrictions.

Husband and wife team Jeni and Peter Hart have taken the heartbreaking decision to let their four part-time staff go. They have also decided not to renew the lease on the shop and they will close at the end of October.

Jeni said: “It is really sad and really difficult. We are supporting the staff as best we can but they won’t be employed with us.”

The shop first opened under the name Tea@Hart in 2014 with an area for people to play board games.

But the games section flourished massively and the business soon was running games nights six evenings a week. It also held a Comic Con.

It became so popular that it even led to couples meeting there and going on to marry.

"We have had two weddings of couples who met at the cafe and one of the weddings was held in our building,” said Jeni.

But just as business was flourishing, it had to shut during the lockdown in March and when it re-opened in August, it had a huge refit.

A gamers cafe which once hosted 40 people was now limited to a maximum of 12 and even then, people had to remain in their own family bubbles, said Jeni.

"It got to the stage where it was not possible to run things as they stood.”

Instead, Gamers@Hart is continuing as a website where people can buy the games they once played in the shop.

Jeni is determined to keep offering a service and said: “People can make the most of the educational aspect of gaming such as strategy, decision making, and teamwork.

"There is a large scope for using games as an educational tool and we can expand that in the future. We already had a web shop and we will keep that going.

“We will sell board games and we will keep up to date with new releases and look for games that people can enjoy, especially as families.

"At the end of the month, we will close the physical shop which is not what we wanted to do but in the current situation, it was not sensible to sign a new lease.

"Our business relied on bringing people together. It is not wise and it is not safe to do that.”

But Jeni added: “We are not saying goodbye forever. If we come back as a physical shop, it will be somewhere else but we will definitely come back in Hartlepool.”

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