Cafe is left in cold as heating fails
A new cafe in Stourbridge has been hit by a lack of heating, leaving customers shivering in the cold.
Costa Coffee opened in the Ryemarket on December 6 and the three heaters installed have not been working since its launch.
Now the cafe is offering a discount to drinkers in a bid to keep customers sweet until the place warms up. A sign is displayed on pillars advertising a 10 per cent discount until the devices are connected which the owners hope will be within the next few days.
One customer, a 34-year-old shop worker having a coffee on her break, said she was taking advantage of the cut-price drinks.
She said: "It will be better when the heaters are on but I've just kept my coat on and saved some money. It is good that they are offering a discount but they should have had the heating ready when they opened."
Another shopper having a drink, a hardy 67-year-old Stourbridge pensioner, said: "It's a bit chilly, I'd much prefer it if they had the heaters working. But I suppose at least I can save a few pennies."
The company said there had been a delay in connecting the heaters to the fire alarm panel at the centre. Nigel Foster, operations manager for Central Coffee Limited, a franchisee of Costa, said a decision was taken to go ahead with the opening. He said: "We could either not open for two weeks but we decided the best thing to do was open and provide a service."
