The owner of a popular bar and brunch club has announced its closure in Buckinghamshire town centre.
High Wycombe entrepreneur Chris Miller has revealed plans to close down Sosh Club on Frogmoor next month.
His other business, Air Raids Shelter Café currently located in the Chilterns Shopping Centre, will move over to the Sosh Club building opposite The Yates pub.
As the only independent bar left in town and “in the current climate” continuing to keep Sosh Club open was “impossible,” Chris admitted.
He said: “I’ve invested about £180,000 into Sosh Club, so it has not been great financially.
“I think the town centre is struggling and people are changing their habits.
“There’s just no footfall on Frogmoor.”
Chris said that after doing his “grieving” he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders after the decision to close the bar, which opened in the middle of the Covid pandemic.
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“I’m lucky that I haven’t gone bust, but I made the decision [to move] myself rather than have someone make it for me,” he said.
The only reason Sosh Club hadn’t “gone bust” was because of the success of Air Raids Shelter Café, he explained.
The Air Raids Shelter Café's lease was due to run out in July 2024, he said.
The Chilterns Shopping Centre is earmarked for redevelopment into flats and new retail spaces as part of a significant revamp of the Frogmoor.
“I just want to thank everyone for supporting both of my businesses. It has been tough as an independent in the town.
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“Hopefully, once the café is established in its new space and the development starts we’ll be in a prime spot,” Chris said.
The Chilterns Shopping Centre had been “amazing” for Chris and other businesses like his, giving him the opportunity to start the café with “hardly any money” thanks to the cheap rent, he said.
But the town could not support two shopping centres, he added.
“The new café will be really exciting. We’ll have a bigger train station, a bigger house and we’ll make it more educational - we want to educate children about the history of the country.”
Sosh Club will stay open until August 19 when it will host a private, pre-booked party.
On Friday August 18, Sosh Club is open to everyone with Pride Disco from 9pm as part of High Wycombe Pride.
“We are the official disco on the High Wycombe Pride weekend. That’s actually our last day open to the public. We are going to go out with a big bang, we have a DJ and a drag queen,” Chris said.
Then after Sosh Club closes, the café will slowly move over while staying open in the Chilterns Shopping Centre until the new site is ready.
Most of Sosh Club’s decadent interior will be up for sale on Sunday August 20, including chandeliers and antique items.
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