A popular stop-off for a sip and a snack for those enjoying the Hawke's Bay cycle trails is closing its doors today.
The operators of Tandem Cafe on Te Mata Rd sought a three-year lease extension for the site but the land owners, understood to be a church trust, had been unable to provide it. A church is being built nearby.
"They may have other plans," cafe co-owner Jonelle Jarvis said. "We haven't asked because it doesn't make any difference in the long run - we have to close it."
However, while that was the bad news, especially for the growing number of cyclists who regularly called at the cycle-themed cafe, the good news was that she and her husband Chris, who operate the Bay Espresso chain, were scouting for a new location.
"We want to take the Tandem concept somewhere else and we are already putting some feelers out." The staff would all keep their jobs.
Tandem opened two years ago and manager George Bristow said while it started out slowly, it had quickly pedalled up to become increasingly busy.