A Spalding eaterie described as looking like a “dog’s dinner” has hit back after suffering a loss of trade.
Takings at Sunshine Café and Restaurant have dipped since reports of a South Holland District Council planning committee meeting.
Owner Alex Aydin blames people believing the comment referred to the food, when in fact Coun Pete Williams was talking about the signage.
This week Coun Williams supported that claim and spoke in support of the quality of food at the business.
He said: “I have eaten in there on several occasions and I will continue to.
“I haven’t got a problem with the food, I just don’t think it’s the right kind of signage for the surroundings and history of the town centre.”
Coun Williams told last month’s meeting that the look of the Bridge Street premises was a far cry from predecessors Serendipity and The Maple Leaf.
He said: “The two previous uses for that restaurant were far, far superior. Absolutely a credit to the town centre the way they were – this is a dog’s dinner.”
Mr Aydin said councillors had a right to give their opinion but he was disappointed with the term “dog’s dinner” being used to describe a restaurant.
“I accept what they are saying but not in that way,” he said. “So many people have mentioned to me about what was said. Many think he was talking about the food.
“The last couple of weeks it has been slow here.”
Mr Aydin opened the business about a year ago and was asked to submit a retrospective planning application for its signage.
He did that after heeding recommendations to make the signage smaller and removing “clutter”, such as menus, from the windows.
Mr Aydin said: “I did everything that they asked.”
Coun Williams was not alone in disliking the signage. Planning committee chairman Coun Roger Gambba-Jones (Spalding Wygate) noted its “awfulness”, Coun Bryan Alcock (Crowland and Deeping St Nicholas) remarked “What a thing to have in the middle of a conservation area” and Coun Harry Drury (Spalding St Mary’s) said if there was a legal reason to refuse permission he would have found it.
