Relief and joy for owners as ‘new’ restaurant opens
Minnies started by duo two weeks before pandemic
A COUPLE say they are delighted to finally open the doors of their new Southsea restaurant after a tumultuous 18 months.
Andrew and Yvonne Cohen, from Lovedean, took over the former Capers Cafe in Marmion Road last year and renamed it Minnies.
The pair used to run Chichester restaurant Amelie and Friends but they decided to take the plunge and open Minnies after both wanting a change of scene and a new challenge.
However, timing wasn’t on the couple’s side, because within just two weeks of opening Minnies, the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK.
This meant the restaurant spent the best part of the past 18 months closed, until it reopened once again on June 26 this year.
Andrew, 52, who was a previously a doctor prior to opening Minnies, said: ‘We are extremely pleased with our customers reactions to Minnies, because you can plan as much as you like but it’s not until you welcome real life customers that you know whether you have done a good job or not. Not just for the owners, Yvonne and I, but for the whole team - we have all put a lot of work in to get ready and prepare. It has been exciting to see so many smiling faces over the past few weeks.
‘We are all about delicious home-cooked food, beautifully presented and pair that up with a lovely warm welcome and great service.’
Andrew said that Minnie's radiates positivity - with the restaurant named after his grandmother, who also had a passion for cooking.
The couple are serving a range of traditional dishes, including steak pies, pork belly, sea bass and salmon, as well as Sunday roasts. He said: ‘It’s amazing to have people here and seeing them have a great time. For more go to minnieskitchen.co.uk