Letter: Please Give The Food Shops in The Village A Chance

Published on: 23 Sep, 2017
Updated on: 24 Sep, 2017

From Felicia Troia

I’m the owner of one of The Sicilian Kitchen one of three of the food shops inside The Village shopping centre in Guildford.

We get there every day Wednesday to Sunday preparing delicious food so that people can have an alternative to fast food but sadly we feel the pain of the town not supporting The Village due to past issues.

All we ask is to give us a try.

Tables at The Village where customers can enjoy some of the food offerings.

The new management team are really putting so much effort into making this a platform to support small businesses like ours that cannot afford a high street venue: a platform for us to supply the public with great food options and grow our businesses.

There isn’t much “real” help for small businesses out there and this is the best solution for most of us.

Please pop in and give The Village a chance. We are doing our best but cannot make it work without the Guildford public supporting us and our events.

Responses to Letter: Please Give The Food Shops in The Village A Chance

Martin Elliott Reply

September 23, 2017 at 7:03 pm

Whilst I have every sympathy for the position of the tenants in the containers, I’m confused by what The Village is being marketed as and what is the council’s business plan to ensure commercial success this time around.

When the revamped Village was opened, I asked several times why a list of available outlets was not available on the website (hosted by GBC). After several missed promised dates, rather than the explanation I was blocked on Twitter!

There is still no directory of tenants, only short descriptions of outlets.

The announcements on Twitter or Facebook seem to all be around events, none particularly enticing to me as a pensioner.

The question is, is The Village primarily a community entertainment venue, or a shopping outlet?

More importantly, is it covering its costs and paying back the investment, or was this never the intention of GBC?

Maybe, as many have said, like other cleared plots in this eyesore development area it should have been another short-term car park
Felicia Troia Reply

September 25, 2017 at 1:04 pm

My letter was not asking for anyone’s sympathy, but rather their support. The events created are to draw in a varied group of people and has nothing to do with whether you are a pensioner or not. There are loads of great food choices a warm atmosphere and lovely people on site every day. Over the next few months, we will have a Street Food Festival from the 28th September – 1 October which is great fun for everyone. Then the 6th October – 8th October is the Beer Festival showcasing local beers and then the 10th-15th October there is the Prosecco and Pizza Festival, to mention a few. More information on Facebook @VillageGFord

As a business owner, I would not have been to afford premises in Guildford so I am really grateful for the opportunity. My letter is not to open a discussion on the economic investment etc. as that is a discussion you could have with the council.

I am highlighting the part of The Village that is working and the potential it has to bring so much value to the community and also to local businesses.

Perhaps a focus on the glass being half full would go along way to turning The Village around.