New Café Says Peel’s Problems Don’t Tell the Full Story

After spotting yet another gloomy post about Peel online, the team behind Traa Dy Liooar decided to share their own experience, and it paints a very different picture.

‘I saw yet another negative write up about Peel on here and I wanted to write about our experience because I believe all the negativity will deter potential new businesses from even considering Peel as an option, and that’s a shame because our experience has been nothing but positive!’ they said.

The coffee, tea and cake shop opened just over 10 weeks ago on Atholl Place, run by Ja and Sarah, who spent much of the year turning the former Hong Kong Delight into a cosy new spot before opening in early October.

They admit they heard the familiar line that Peel ‘doesn’t need another café’, but say that view hasn’t matched reality at all.

‘When we first said we were going to open a coffee shop we had the usual “Peel doesn’t need another cafe” comments from a few people, but the encouraging comments far outweighed the negative ones and we have found the people of Peel are even more encouraging in real life than their Facebook posts!’ they said.

From day one, the support rolled in, messages of goodwill, people popping in just to say hello, and even flowers, cards and bottles of wine from complete strangers rooting for them to succeed.

And parking? Not the nightmare some make it out to be.

‘Nobody says they can’t find a parking space,’ they said, pointing to disc parking nearby, plus spaces by the cathedral and behind the police station.

They’ve also had kind words for Peel Town Commissioners, saying those they’ve met have been welcoming, supportive and genuinely interested in how the business is doing.

Above all, they say it’s the people who make Peel special. ‘We already have lots of regulars… and we feel like we have been welcomed into a big community of encouraging, friendly, supportive people.’

Their message to anyone thinking of opening up shop? Don’t believe all the doom and gloom. Peel, they say, still has plenty going for it.