FOUR sisters from Sunderland have put their family values first, launching their hospitality business dream with the help of the Core team at Gordon Brown Law Firm.
Café Sisters, a coffee shop and shabby chic-style café has recently opened in one of the oldest buildings on Silver Street in Durham, offering customers a slice of history thanks to the venue’s rich heritage and tasty treats on offer.
Miriam, Samantha, Linda and June have deferred from their original career paths in pursuit of a mutual ambition dreamt up on a holiday escape two years ago.
Gordon Brown Law Firm acted on the sisters’ behalf from concept to completion to secure their desired property within just one week of it being on the market.
Celebrating the building’s brimming history, the Durham city centre venue combines old-world character with a new-age twist. Previously a butcher shop and shoemakers the historic building dates back to the 17th Century.
Since the launch, June Hibbert who currently lives in Consett, has put her culinary flare to good use, with everything baked in-house and made fresh to order. Adding to their diverse backgrounds Samantha Coleman still resides in Sunderland and is a qualified teacher whilst Miriam Nordstrom also embarked down the education route previously working in a nursery and Linda is a healthcare professional specialising in phlebotomy.
The deal, led by solicitor Gwen Jones, was completed inside a short 5-week span and the café officially opened its doors a day ahead of schedule thanks to Gordon Brown Law Firm’s Core team. A new division of the business, Core’s sole objective is to support SMEs such as Café Sisters with affordable, no-nonsense legal advice.
Having worked closely with Gordon Brown Law Firm on a number of occasions in the past, the sisters were keen to stick with a firm they knew could deliver an affordable and approachable service.
Linda Brien, the second youngest of the four siblings to run Café Sisters, said: “We decided to use Gordon Brown Law Firm based on their reputation in the region. Samantha has used their services in the past and our parents even used them when buying their house years ago, so it felt appropriate to keep up the family tradition.
“We can’t thank them enough for their consistent support and friendly advice throughout and we’re really grateful to Gwen for her swiftness in pulling everything together – she was at the end of the phone if we needed her and was always on our side.”
Gwen Jones, Head of Core and solicitor at Gordon Brown Law Firm, said: “The sisters approached us after seeing the centrally located building come available. I was delighted to have the opportunity to assist and to advise them with their exciting new business venture as it was evident in all of our meetings of their passion for the business.
“We assisted with the negotiations on the lease and it was a really smooth transition which meant we had the lease turned around in under three weeks. Buildings like this one are part of the city’s heritage and now it has a new story to tell, continuing its legacy as a venue for hardworking and successful SMEs.”