Forum Topic

The Italians (the cafe) on Chiswick High Road

Yesterday was its last day of trading. Sad! However, the shop 2 doors down is to continue to trade.

Fay Kazemi ● 2d6 Comments

The extra costs on employers can't have helped but, if memory serves, the Italians had previously shut for periods over the last few years due to lack of staff.What should be happening is that there is adjustment in rents to offset rising costs for tenants. The Italians lease was up in a few months and they must have been speaking to the landlord but couldn't come to an agreement. Vacant units at this end of the High Road seem to fill up although experience so far suggests we are going to get a kitchen/bathroom showroom or a furniture store. The proximity to free parking at Sainsbury's seems to be attracting loads of them at the moment.For those of us who are mourning The Italians perhaps this theory will assuage the guilt we feel about not going more often when we had the chance. Even if we had bought more coffee and it hadn't been hit by higher costs, it may have already been doomed.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1d

It would be interesting to know how much the Italians bill for employers' national insurance increased by following the government's first "fix-the-black-hole" budgetPretty sure it didn't help, very sad to see the place going.

Matthew Swain ● 1d

If I had to guess, Peter, what you were seeing is the signs of stress on businesses such as this.Many venues are cutting back hours/staff and that was before the newest budget with more increases yet to come. It is a way of balancing the equation. Pay more per hour but pay for less hours. Add to that the increase in cost of goods/produce/ingredients. With them the likely impact of tariffs or no tariffs and the uncertainty just multiplies. I think if you look more closely you'll see plenty of venues shutting earlier than they once did.

David Lesniak ● 1d

‘Use it or lose it!’We did use The Italians a lot, but over time they started running out of things and closing earlier in the day and then being shut for two days a week. Once they’d opened the separate little shop, the main cafe looked a bit bare without all the deli stuff on display. They also kept rejigging the layout of the cafe, so we got the impression some time ago that they’d become increasingly unsure of what their offer was. It comes as no surprise that they’ve called it a day. Or maybe only half called it a day, as I see some tables and chairs in the little shop, so will they contune serving coffees and pizzas and tiramisu and.. in there?!

Peter Evans ● 2d

It would interesting to know how much the Italians bill for employers national insurance increased by following the government's first "fix-the-black-hole" budget. The UK's unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) stands at 5.1%, up from 4.3% the year before (and 4.4% in July 2024).Unemployment in the UK retail sector is rising, with significant job losses and store closures in 2024 and 2025, driven by weak consumer spending, high operating costs (like National Living Wage increases), and the general weakening UK labour market, impacting overall job numbers and increasing insecurity for retail workers.In March 2025 there were 364,000 fewer jobs in the Retail Sector than in March 2015.

Sam Hearn ● 2d

How sad. I walked passed this morning and gave a questioning look to the people inside who were clearing up. They were very glum. The pastries and cannoli were excellent. If you like the latter - Duci on Dev Road is fantastic. Use it or lose it!

Felicity Caborn ● 2d