Newark healthy lifestyle shop owner fuming at being ‘bullied’ by Greggs lorry
A woman says her business is suffering due to a Greggs lorry which keeps parking outside to make deliveries to the bakery next door. Wendy Baird runs the Tree Juice Bar and Wellbeing Studios in Stodman Street in Newark.
The business, which promotes healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, is located next to a Gregg’s store – one of many run by the popular chain across Nottinghamshire. Since opening for the first time in November last year, Ms Baird says there have been persistent problems with huge lorries parking right outside her business’ entrance in order to drop off stock next door.
Despite raising the issue with Greggs for months, her complaints have fallen on deaf ears, with the same problems persisting as they try to get customers through the door. The shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but open for weekends, and Mrs Baird estimates at least twice a week the lorry turns up and parks in the same spot.
Business charges extra 20p for single use takeaway cups – read more here.
She said: “It parks up right next to the shop’s entrance. It’s a convenience thing for them but it’s an absolute nightmare for us.
It’s a massive, massive, lorry. We have workshop rooms upstairs where we run classes – people are trying to meditate and all you can hear is the sound of its engine going off outside.
“You just wouldn’t walk into our shop when its parked outside as it completely overshadows the whole building. You can’t even see the entrance. It used to park even closer, but then we put our outdoor seating out which we thought would deter them from doing it – now it just blocks the road outside whenever it is parked up.”
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The business describes itself as a one-stop studio encouraging a zest for wellbeing, offering healthy juices, smoothies and food plus treatments such as back massage, hot stones and warm bamboo. Mrs Baird runs it along with her daughter Abigail. She feels like her smaller business is being “bullied” by the established company Greggs who aren’t listening to her grievances.
She continued: “I just feel like its really rude – there’s been no thought about us, or about being neighbourly or helpful. I just feel like we are being a bit bullied – they are just not listening to what we have to say. They just don’t care.”
Greggs has been approached for comment on the matter.