Readers have responded in their hundreds to The Courier’s reporting on the financial crisis facing the charity that runs Perth Museum – and its controversial cafe.
It comes after we revealed councillors had approved a £170,000 payment for Culture Perth and Kinross.
The money was set aside by Perth and Kinross Council last February to help with running costs at the museum’s Stone Cafe.
The opening of the £27 million attraction was just seven weeks away at that point.
But Culture Perth and Kinross had decided to take over the running of the cafe itself after abandoning its hunt for a private operator.
Now it’s emerged the charity is in danger of going into the red by the end of March.
And the council’s chief finance officer has been given the authority to hand over the additional £170,000, if it’s needed.
Culture Perth and Kinross chief executive Helen Smout admitted late last year that the museum cafe had yet to break even.
And critics are asking why neighbouring businesses in Perth’s Cafe Quarter are being forced to compete with a council-subsidised rival.
Museum neighbour knows Perth cafe trade inside-out
One of the museum’s closest neighbours, Willows, weighed in on our reporting.
Opened in 1992, this Perth institution is a stone’s throw from the new attraction.
And writing on The Courier’s Facebook, the Willows team said: “We love the museum. It’s a fantastic addition to Perth, and it’s surely bringing more visitors to the city.
“But,” they continued: “After years of disruption during construction, it’s frustrating to see the benefits not being shared more widely across the city centre’s businesses.”
The post acknowledged their trade was not for the faint-hearted.
“Running a café is tough,” they went on.
“Some years we make money, some years we don’t. But one thing we do know is that if a brand-new venue, in its peak first year, can’t turn a profit, something’s gone seriously wrong.
“We’re all for public money supporting culture, that’s what museums are for.
“But if the café is losing money, that’s not ‘culture,’ that’s a business being propped up at the taxpayer’s expense.
“No rate-paying business should have to fund a competitor.
“At what point does someone admit it’s not working and rethink how that space could be better used?”
Town hall, markets, learning space, gift shop: readers’ ideas for cafe space
There was broad agreement with Willows’ comments – and sympathy for the plight of Perth’s independent cafe operators.
And there were plenty of suggestions for how the space could be put to better use.
Will Bond agreed. “Love the museum, but we should get rid of the cafe.
“It takes away from the local businesses surrounding the museum; something that should never have been allowed to happen. Use it for town hall purposes, indoor markets, small convention space etc.”
Jim Low wrote: “The cafe, which was the former Lesser Hall, ought to have been retained… as the city’s ‘village hall’ and used for events such as flower shows, fairs and such like.
“As a cafe it just does not work and there is much better offer from the many cafes and restaurants in the immediate area.”
Mandy Ross said: “I’m sure the space could have been put to better use, maybe a good quality Scottish gift shop.”
Cheryl Reid wrote: “I really didn’t see the point in them opening up a cafe inside the museum when there’s so many fantastic cafes all around it.
“They’d be as well getting rid and using it as either a learning space for schools or adding to the displays.”
And Eileen Waterston said: “Perform in Perth could be using it again as a performance venue.
“Perth doesn’t have many decent performance spaces and Perth Concert Hall is generally too big and far too expensive.”
‘Unfair competition for local businesses’
The issue has been generating lots of discussion on The Courier website too.
User Perth 123 commented: “If any privately run cafe was continuously running at a loss they would close or look at ways of reducing costs.
“Local businesses paying business rates to support a council-run competitor is not acceptable.”
JPs Ghost wrote: “I suspect there is a presumption that this type of public building should always include a cafe?
“Why, when the street surrounding the building has (or had) several?”
And The Other Fellow commented: “This cafe idea is nothing but a typically lazy, and underhand idea to fill up space at the very expense of the various cafes that surround it.”
In defence of Perth Museum, its cafe and council
Support for the way the museum and cafe are being run was very much in the minority.
But Heather-Jane Gleeson wrote in the museum’s defence: “The cafe supports local produce and all cafes around it always look busy so it’s not taking away business it’s bringing business in.”
Ken Blair said he had visited several times with friends, who all agreed the museum and cafe were “really excellent”.
He added: “I may be wrong but I think people’s expectation is that attractions such as a museum will have a nice cafe.
“It’s all part of the package and appeal of visiting. To lose the cafe may impact museum visitor numbers.”
And Ritchie Young pointed out that the £170,000 is money that was previously set aside – along with £60,000 for fixtures and fittings – after Culture Perth and Kinross took on the management of the cafe.
“I imagine if they hadn’t put in a contingency plan they would be reporting how awful that was too,” he said.
• What do you think? Please have your say in the comments.
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