A family-run restaurant in Caernarfon that has been loved by the community for 20 years has announced the news that it will be closing. Villa Marina, located at 9 Segontium Terrace, was started by Guy and Christina Williams two decades ago and serves "two of life's great pleasures" - good food which has been cooked with the seasons freshest ingredients from scratch each day, and wine.
Now, they are preparing to close the doors to the much-loved restaurant that has given them so much joy - but it's not all bad news. They're ending on a high, having had one of their best years last year, and are keeping a promise that was made all those years ago when they set off on this venture.
Taking to social media, Guy and Christina posted a heartfelt message along with a series of images which read: "After 20 years of lots of loyal customers, lovely memories, and wonderful staff, it is time for us to focus on family and enjoying life, so we are in the process of selling the building. Villa Marina will be closing by April but 9 Segontium Terrace will remain a creative hub under the umbrella of Life: Full Colour (lifefullcolour.com)."
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Speaking to WalesOnline about the closure, Guy saids: "I promised my wife 20 years and no longer. And that's what we're coming down to. We've had some wonderful times here. It's been great. It's purely just down to us wanting balance in our life now. I'm lucky. I've had the same staff here for probably 15 years. I'm very, very lucky.
"It's purely it's time for us to have our time now. We've got two kids, hardly seen them because I've just been here night and day. 20 years is a long time. I've been in this kind of business for 26 years, probably."
He added: "It's just time for a change, time for a new chapter. I promised my wife no more than 20 years. And that's what we've done. The people of Caernarfon have been fantastic with us, they've been very loyal. We've always been on the better end of everything really. I'd rather go out at the top than any other way. We've done everything we wanted to do. We've done everything we needed to do. And there's not a lot else we can do here.
"Last year, we probably had the best year we've ever had. Our business just seems to be getting busier and busier and busier, we're getting older and older and older. It's pure and simple as that. There's no doom with it there's no gloom with it, it's just our time."
And while they are ending on a high, he says that the last time they close the door, there will certainly be a few tears. As for what is to come next, Guy, who is in his 40s, said that they've got nothing planned just yet and are looking forward to the simple things. "I want to spend time with my wife," he said. "I want to spend some more time walking my dog. And then we'll just see what happens.."
The building itself, Guy explains, is going to be a creative hub - which he is rather excited for. "I believe it will be very good for Caernarfon. What their ideas are, what they're doing." Villa Marina is looking to close by April.
And while Villa Marina's closing isn't from stifling inflation reasons - like so many up and down the country, for example Chapel 1877's recent closure - it will be sorely missed, as highlighted by a number of comments on its post.
One Instagram user wrote: "we HAVE to go before it closes this has made me sooooo sad" while another said: "Gutted".
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