Popular Caribbean cafe and health food shop ARMR Store is sadly closing its doors. But its owner Raphale Evans has hinted that it could be back again in the future in another form.
The cafe, in Ardwick, specialised in vegan Caribbean food, as well as a whole shop full of vegan and vegetarian ingredients and health supplements. “Our work here is done,” said Raph in a post to Facebook.
“We will be closing our doors this Saturday and would love to see some of the new and old faces again. What a pleasure it’s been to have been able to bring my/our thoughts and ideas to a reality. Something tangible, with responsibilities I never knew I would have.
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“Although I feel we only scratched the surface of what we could have achieved. I have to remind myself that the energy and intentions behind opening the store meant we far surpassed what I originally had in mind. The goal was always for this space to be a place I could never really call my own.
“ARMR has helped and supported literally thousands of people, whether that be providing free food, giving away supplements or spending and employing locally. And, while I’ve not always been perfect, I’m pretty happy on the whole with the things we have managed to accomplish.
“It’s me in the picture but much like this journey it wouldn’t exist without someone holding the camera. I feel blessed for the amount of people who have helped hold the camera along the way. Thank you to all our customers, supporters, followers and the family & friends who have supported the shop.”
He went on to thank his mum, Joanne, who made the cafe’s dumplings, and his partner, before adding: “But as the saying goes, with endings come new beginning[s].”
Raph opened the cafe in 2019, and raised money via a crowdfunder to extend the kitchen and launch training schemes for the local community last year. He also collaborated with Mary-Ellen McTague’s nonprofit organisation Eat Well MCR.
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