The Queen is Dead

23/07/2010

James Walker mourns the death of Dotty's Cafe

Where else can you get to listen to Ella Fitzgerald whilst dunkin' biscuits?

It’s with great regret we announce that Dotty’s Cafe on Mansfield Rd is no more. We’d like to say it’s because owner Susie Munroe has won the lotto and decided to travel to Vegas to find her beloved Elvis, but sadly it’s not. The recession is showing little mercy on the independent sector, forcing this female-run cafe to flog all their gorgeous fifties memorabilia on eBay and join the endless queues down the job centre.

For many of us who walk in to town via Mansfield Rd, Dotty’s has been the perfect pit stop for a dandelion tea, chocolate cupcake and one of the numerously delightful vegan or vegetarian sandwiches. Now it’s destined to become yet another empty shop front. Fortunately it’s too small to be converted into a Tesco Express, but wait until some smart arse in marketing comes up with the idea for a Tesco Espresso...

LeftLion doesn’t want Susie Munroe and her kittens to give up and instead urge her to consider opening up again in West End Arcade. This has seen a much needed revival of late with more and more businesses opening up, all of which add to this locations unique character. 'Recreation' sells cards, T-Shirts and posters designed by local artists as well as an eclectic mix of retro furniture. Opposite is the enchanting Butterfly Effect Gallery as well as a mix of memorabilia outfits, selling everything from DVDS and vinyl to signed photographs of the dead movie stars that Susie loves so much. All of whom are the type who’d fancy a hemp burger in a retro cafe served by glam staff with a warm smile and a big heart. And you wouldn’t be alone here either. You could team up with Aubrey's Traditional Crêperie (which isn’t big enough to pick off the passing trade cutting through from Upper Parliament Street), together you could become the culinary Batman and Robin, fighting off the bland red, white and blue and rewarding those who still believe in ethical shopping.

Our advice is pack up your pink aprons and polka dot tablemats and move down south to West End Arcade.

What we’re trying to say is, maybe you're too glam for Mansfield Rd. Maybe the missing ingredient isn’t in the menu but the location. And with the Alley Cafe just around the corner, vegetarians will have the unprecedented option of two hangouts to pass away those office lunch breaks.

After working more hours than a doctor, Susie Munroe may well have had her fill of trying to offer a glittering alternative to the city landscape. Whether this is the case or not, it will be sorely missed.