Owner of Alema Coffee, in High Baxter Street, Bury St Edmunds, asks drivers to be careful after seven signs damaged by lorries

A coffee shop owner is asking drivers to be more considerate after spending more than £1,000 replacing the shop’s outdoor sign.

Fabian Macas opened Alema Coffee, in Bury St Edmunds, last March.

Although he said he enjoyed running his business from the High Baxter Street site, one issue has been affecting footfall: the outdoor signage.

Over the past 10 months Fabian has had to replace seven signs after they were knocked down and damaged by lorries.

Although there is a single yellow line outside the shop – thus restricted parking is permitted – some lorry drivers had mounted the already narrow pavement and hit signage.

“It’s frustrating to deal with the constant repairs,” said Fabian.

“We are a small business working on a tight budget and the sign has helped us attract more customers, especially during the weekend, which is our busiest trading time.

“Anytime the sign is down, I have noticed fewer customers coming in.”

After replacing the third sign, Fabian conducted his own survey to determine whether the signage was having an impact on people noticing his shop from Abbeygate Street.

He found nearly 10 per cent of customers who walked through the door did so because they noticed the sign.

The profit from his business is mostly driven by regular customers, but to keep the coffee shop going Fabian also needs to attract visitors.

“We are not on the main street,” said Fabian. “We are tucked away so we need something to help us be noticed, such as the sign.

“During market days, a lot of visitors come to the town and many of them have told me they found the shop because of the sign.

“The bright pink catches their attention and they become curious to see what it is. Once they see the sign that says ‘coffee’, they walk up here.

“After the survey, I realised how important it was for my business, so I can’t give up. I need to ensure people can see my shop.”

Fabian said each sign cost around £200 to replace, with four of the seven replacement signs having to be paid for out of his own pocket.

The 34-year-old said the problem was worse on weekends, when more deliveries were made to nearby businesses, and on Sundays, when residents parked on the street and outside his shop.

He said this was beyond his control.

Fabian added: “I want to keep my neighbours happy. I understand why they park on the street, but I would also like to ask them to be a bit more considerate, especially people with big vans or lorries.”

The last sign was knocked down around the Christmas period and is yet to be replaced.

Fabian said he was considering finding another location for the sign or adding another further up the road.

SuffolkNews approached Suffolk Highways about possible solutions.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Considering the narrow width and camber of the road, as well as the limited space on the footpath, we recommend that a smaller sign, one that does not extend over the full width of the footpath, could serve as a more suitable solution.”