Bristol's beloved kiosk could close after rent jumps 400%

A small kiosk in Bristol, England, may be forced to shut its doors after the owner was told his yearly rent would jump by 400%. Raymon Daniel runs The Crepe & Coffee Cabin, a little shop on Prince Bridge that many locals say feels like the heart of their community. His rent is going up from £1,400 to £7,000 a year — and to make things worse, he may have to pay nearly two years of extra charges all at once. Daniel says his small business cannot survive if that happens.

Daniel was not against the idea of a rent increase. He said he expected his rent to go up by somewhere between 10% and 50%, which he felt was fair. What shocked him was the size of the jump — a full 400% increase. He also felt blindsided because nobody from the council came to discuss the change with him in 2025, as they were supposed to. 'Nobody came, nobody asked,' he said. 'It's a lot for a small business.'

To make matters harder, Bristol City Council used an outside company called Cushman and Wakefield — based in the United States — to inform Daniel about the new rent. Because the council missed its 2025 review deadline, Daniel now faces 22 months of backdated payments. That means he would owe money for rent at the higher rate going all the way back to when the review should have happened. Daniel says paying this back rent would be impossible. 'We have to close down if we pay it, we can't continue,' he said.

Regular customers are rallying behind Daniel and his kiosk. One customer, Andy Farmer, called the shop a true community hub, saying it was even a gathering place during the COVID-19 pandemic when people had few chances to see each other. 'We've seen Ray go through tough times, but he has built an amazing business that isn't just a coffee shop, but a place where we've built a community and friends,' Farmer said. Another customer, Roger Williams, noted that some regulars have formed a WhatsApp group and meet most mornings for coffee.

Bristol City Council has acknowledged the situation and says it wants to find a solution. Councillor Andrew Brown, who chairs the harbour committee, said the council values what businesses like Daniel's bring to the city. He asked council officers to meet with Daniel and talk through the details of the rent review. The council has also paused the review process so that more discussions can take place. For now, Daniel and his loyal customers are waiting and hoping the cabin can stay open.