New year sees two closures on same stretch of road

The two friends who have run Two Six Four for over a year ended on a high as they shut for the final time.

Carla Diogo and Catriona Dickie made the decision to close their shop on Church Road in St George, saying it hasn’t been easy keeping going in the quieter months in a low footfall area and it no longer makes sense for them to continue.

The pair thanked the people of BS5 and beyond for their support in a final post following a busy few weeks in the run up to Christmas as they prepared to focus on their individual projects.

The closure of Two Six Four comes at the same time as Poco Deli, just a few doors up the road, also shut up shop for the final time, citing “ever-increasing costs and a massive drop in trade”.

Both shops were based on Church Road on a stretch opposite St George Park that tends to get less footfall than the lower end of the street.

Carla Diogo and Catriona Dickie made the decision to close their shop on Church Road in St George – photo: Martin Booth

In a post on Instagram, Carla and Catriona said: “Despite the positives, it hasn’t been easy to keep going through the quieter months. Everyone is feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis, including us.

“As a small business, every sale makes a real difference, and being in a low footfall area leaves us in a precarious position. We knew that when we opened, but we took a risk. Now we’ve reached a point where it doesn’t make sense for us to keep going, financially or emotionally. So whilst we’ve had a fantastic year in many ways, it’s now time for us to focus on other projects.”

Following their final day of opening, the pair added: “We have made so many great memories here. It’s been amazing to be involved in the community in this way.

“We are grateful to everyone who supported us from near and far. There is so much we will miss from having our beautiful shop on our local high street here on Church Road, one of the things we will miss the most is having little chats in the shop with so many of you and making new friends. Thank you for helping us go out on a high.”

Poco Deli on Church Road closed just before Christmas – photo: Stephen Sumner

The loss of two businesses in the neighbourhood follows the closure of the Fountain Cafe up the hill on Church Road in August of last year following the death of the premises’ landlord. The building has since been bought at auction and it is currently undergoing renovations, with no details yet confirmed of what will take the place of the greasy spoon.

Following the closure of Two Six Four, Carla will be devoting more time to her label, Carla Diogo, designing made-to-order, sustainable womenswear. Catriona meanwhile will continue her work reading, recommending and distributing books via the Good Book Club, which exists to amplify underrepresented voices.

Speaking to Bristol24/7, Catriona said: “Being part of Two Six Four has made me realise that there is a real thirst for a feminist reading community in St George. I’m still aiming to run book events as part of Good Book Club in 2024 so would encourage friends of the shop to keep up to date with us at www.goodbookclub.co.uk.”

Main photo: Stephen Sumner

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