Llanelli Ladies are Doing it for Themselves: New business ‘Roasties’ launches today.

Llanelli Ladies are Doing it for Themselves: New business Roasties launches today.

Photo: First customer Izzy Brocklesby being served by Rhian Harris.

Roasties Cafe

Rhian Harries and Elizabeth Pearce have been close friends for over 8 years and today the Llanelli ladies have opened their first business together. Roasties Cafe and Chip Shop opens in Emma Street today in Llanelli and is the culmination of a joint dream and 6 months of hard work, personal sacrifice and determination.

Elizabeth Pearce said: “We’re so excited to be open and we can’t wait to treat the Llanelli public to our quality fish and chips and our other tempting foods on the menu.”

Rhian and Elizabeth have talked a lot over the years about opening a business together and vowed,  should they ever get the opportunity they would do it.

In June 2016, the ladies come together and decided to stop talking about what they wanted to do and, instead, take a chance and 6 months later they are opening their new enterprise.

Since 15 year old Rhian Harries has worked in cafes and chip shops, always hoping that one day she would be able to open up her own one. Until now, Rhian had always worked for someone else. She had served in different chip shops locally and managed other people’s businesses.

Rhian learned a lot from all this experience and said: “I believe that from working in chip shops since I was 15 I have gained a lot of knowledge and skills in order to be successful in my own shop.”

“I want to be my own boss and instead of managing other people’s businesses I believe now is the time for me to run my own”.

Elizabeth Pearce’s reasons for being a partner in the joint venture are different. Her motivation comes from providing for her children. She wants more than anything, to make a success of it, in order to provide security for their future.

Elizabeth said: “I want to give my kids a pathway, something which they can, in the future, become involved in and then hopefully, one day, they can take over my part of the business and go on to develop it further.”

The ladies have put everything into making the business a success. They have took out different loans in order to meet the costs of the property, its refurbishment and all the equipment necessary.

However, they consider themselves as very lucky to have received lots of support from their families.

Elizabeth said: “We are both very grateful because we have had a lot of help and support from our families”

“The premises had been unoccupied for over 3 years before we took over and so, as you can imagine, there has been a lot of work to do.”

Liz continues by paying special tribute to her father in law: “my father in law has worked tirelessly day in and day out by doing a lot of the restoration and refurbishment of this place.”  

“We could not have done it without him that is for sure.”

Roasties Cafe and Chip Shop will be open 7 days a week. The cafe opens at 7am for breakfast everyday with the chip shop opening from 12am until 10pm.

The ladies plan to introduce food deliveries into the business in 2017 and working 7 days a week to ensure that the dream they have now realised fully flourishes.