A tough decision to close the doors

Fogo Island café owner cites increased costs, difficult hiring climate as factors

Community support was great and appreciated, but economic pressures brought on by inflation and a general need for change forced a Fogo Island café owner to close her business.

Jennifer Sexton opened The Tilting Cup Café in Tilting, a community at the eastern end of the picturesque Newfoundland island, in the fall of 2018.

Fogo Island has become a destination for tourists, particularly over the last decade, in tandem with the rise of the Fogo Island Inn, an internationally renowned hotel built on the island.

The Tilting Cup Café specialized in hot beverages, baked goods, sandwiches and other tasty items, also doing pizzas some evenings. The business started out in a building on the Main Road in Tilting, but moved last fall to the community’s renovated former fire hall.

When the new year came, Sexton said, she knew she had to make the tough decision to close. She made it through the challenges of operating a small business amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and credits the community and tourists who left their homes while contending with public health restrictions.

"We felt a really huge amount of support from all the Newfoundlanders travelling during that sort of time, the reduced bubbles," she said. "My community really did keep me alive."

But there were recent global developments making it more and more difficult to stay afloat. Contending with inflation on a small island proved to be too much to bear.

"My freight, we're on this little tiny island, of course, off an island, and freight charges started to become unbearable," Sexton said.

HARD TO HEAT

The renovation of the old fire hall building she moved into included an oil furnace, so the skyrocketing price of home-heating oil made matters worse.

Keeping staff in a place with a limited labour pool was also a struggle, Sexton said.

"I had one person apply for the (last job) ad when I asked for help."

With the cost of supplies going up, busi - nesses can elect to pass that on to consumers by raising prices, but Sexton was reluctant to do so.

"I see every item at the grocery store here h as gone up at least a dollar or two, or sometimes three, on the regular things that I used," said Sexton, who did not buy supplies from a wholesaler given she was purchasing them at a low volume.

"So that all adds to everything. And I personally don't love the idea of having to pass that on to customers. I feel like there's going to bea tip ping point where people will just say, 'No, I won't pay $ 13 for a BLT.' It's just too much."

FUTURE PLANS

She admits there is a p er sonal willingness on h er part to move on from the business. She also operates a coffee bean roasting company, Conscious Coffee, out of her home and will continue to supply commercial clients and mail-order customers she has .

Sexton also owns an old camper that she is considering turning into a food truck.

''I'm in my 50s and feelin g the pinch of all this stress. It's just been a lot of stress operating a business ."

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Sexton reiterated the local support her business received has been great, but noted even that can only be stretched so far.

"Even if all 120 residents come through the door every day, that's still only $200 worth of coffee," she said with a laugh.

"It's a beautiful place, but it's a destination location. It's the end of the road on the island, so I'm not really feeling traffic going by.. .. It was a real dream to try and keep it alive for the winter, but unfortunately, it's not attainable."

The Tilting Cup Cafe will remain open for two more weekends.

111see every item at the grocery store here has gone up at least a dollar or two, or sometimes three, on the regular things that I used. So that all adds to everything. And I personally don't love the idea of having to pass that on to customers. I feel like there's going to be a tipping point where people will just say, 'No, I won't pay $13 for a BLT.' It's just too much."

Jennifer Sexton