Coffee fans bewildered after Metropolis closes doors

Well-known Metropolis Caffe on Victoria Street is closed yet again.

Founded in 1991, it moved to its current site in 1993 and became an institution as a morning pick me up and late night coffee bar.

But it now has shut its doors for the second time in as many years.

Fans of Metropolis have been left bewildered, as no official public notice was issued saying it had closed in late May.

Lu-ann Hetet, who took over the operation in January with business partner Ganesh Periyasany, said Periyasany left the business about four months in.

‘‘I was left there to run it all by myself,’’ Hetet said.

Metropolis was already facing hard times when they took the project on. That, factored in with unrelated personal events Hetet didn’t want to disclose, proved too much of a challenge. ‘‘Metropolis is dead, I’m sorry to say,’’ she said. Metropolis Caffe Limited was placed into liquidation by its previous owners, Rejini Renjith and Renjith Rangopaid, in January. They had owned it for a year.

Hetet and Periyasany came in with a new company called Swega Group of Companies Limited, and continued trading under the Metropolis name.

But the damage to Metropolis’ reputation was already done. Its former selling points, which included being a prime venue for evening relaxation, company events, social occasions and catering for nearby hotel patrons, were dropped by the previous owners.

The cafe went from being open until as late as

10pm, for which it was renowned, to closing before

5pm, effectively losing its foothold in the evening market.

That was what Hetet had to deal with. And she needed to turn a profit with Metropolis before she would have been able to pay staff to keep the cafe open late.

‘‘We weren’t even, in the end, making enough to cover any bills,’’ Hetet said.

‘‘In hindsight, I should have put notices [of closure] up, but when you’re going through what I’m going through, you just don’t have time to really think.’’

Hetet had lost a lot of money, but recouped a small amount of the cost she paid for Metropolis by selling the lease on to a Hamilton businessman and chef, who as yet doesn’t want to be identified.

Hetet can’t confirm or deny if Metropolis will be coming back with the same name or the same mission statement, however she is confident in the new owner’s potential.

He is experienced in hospitality and management, she said.

Hetet had four staff at Metropolis, but couldn’t afford to pay for the chef, so had to let him go and fill the role herself as a fully trained chef. The new owner will take ownership of what is currently Metropolis on June 15.