New Gail’s store at the centre of a furious gentrification row has put up new signs featuring a bearded and tattooed hipster, despite petition from locals to have it closed.
The new signage amid the outrage from locals who are vehemently against the new branch features a tattooed man walking a dog on a white background, whilst also advertising for people to work at the café.
Hundreds of residents of Walthamstow Village in east London have signed a petition to stop a Gail’s opening after plans were announced to open 35 new sites across Britain.
They fear the new store on their high street could put other independent cafes out of business and that the village located in one of London’s most gentrified areas will lose its character.
James Harvey, who has organised the petition warned: ‘This could lead to decreased visibility and pedestrian traffic towards independently run businesses, threatening their very existence and dismantling the character and diversity crucial to Walthamstow’s charm.’
The petition has attracted more than over 1,600 supporters so far, and is aiming to reach 2,500.
Petitioners believe the controversial Gail’s branch was the ‘ultimate sign of gentrification’ as they aim to protect ‘the unique identity of [their] community’.
People in the area claimed that the plans were ‘not great for coolness factor’ and the chain was ‘probably out of reach price-wise for a lot of the community’.
Fanie, 30, who is a painter living in the area told : ‘There already is a variety of shops in the village and to be honest there’s a lot more cooler, smaller shops in Walthamstow – even not in the village.
‘Along Hoe Street along the main streets, you’ve got a world of interesting and amazing cuisine and not just the same pre-packaged meal deal hyper-processed food that you get all over London.
‘In one week we got a Banksy and a Gail’s, it’s not a good sign. It’s not great. I am part of the problem (of gentrification), moving into Walthamstow.
He added: ‘But I want it to stop with me. I want it stay nice and cool while I live here. It’s not great for business, it’s not great for diversity, it’s not great for coolness factor.’
Transport for London communications manager Jane Leeker, 54, said: ‘It’s big news. I am definitely against it.
‘We’ve got lots of independent coffee shops already in the village and around, and I wouldn’t want to see the profits go to, essentially, a chain.
‘I’d prefer that that money stays with our independents, and I think they’ll take their business away.
She added: ‘I like Gail’s personally, and if they were going into Walthamstow itself where there’s lots of chains, lots of empty spaces, I’d be much more supportive of that.’
Michael, 45 who owns an independent coffee shop in Walthamstow, is ready to put a fight against the coffee chain.
He told : ‘We need to all fight them. There’s no way around it. You open an independent coffee shop, you need to be mindful that this is going to happen and they’re going to come.
‘They’re going to keep the businesses for two, three years without profit until they bite you.
‘But I think it’s worth to try and remember the smallest businesses are going to pay most of the tax.
‘So I think we are much more beneficial for growth than corporations or franchises for that matter. I think it’s worth being that way, to develop that way.
He added: ‘My lovely customers, probably most of them will be here anyway regardless because you build this relationship and that’s very important. But I don’t know how this is going to affect us, I have no idea to be honest.’
Gail’s first opened in 2005 in Hampstead, North London, and slowly began to spread across the capital before cherry picking new towns and cities to set up in including Wilmslow in Cheshire and Epsom in Surrey.
Gail’s chief executive Tom Molnar previously told the Mail that it was a huge compliment that people ask him for a Gail’s in their locality.
Despite plans to open other shops in London and having more than 130 openings, managers at Gail’s do not consider themselves a chain.
In an interview with trade publication British Baker, Marta Pogroszewska said she believed ‘scale’ was an uncomfortable term and the company will always focus on being a ‘neighbourhood bakery’ rather than a chain.
The arrival of a Gail’s in a town is a boost for property prices and a sure indicator that that the area is on the up – as well as property prices.
A spokeswoman for Gail’s previously said: ‘We understand the concern around chains, but our view is that a healthy high street is one with a diversity of quality offers each delivering their best.
‘High streets evolve over time and we open our small bakeries often in closed banks or stranded restaurants.
‘All of our bakeries exist in areas where the choices are wide and growing – we should be celebrating the improvement in our food landscapes’.