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Bury St Edmunds set for Midgar Coffee shop to open in St John's Street




It may take its name from a fantasy world, but a new café is promising to offer coffee enthusiasts an arty and relaxed atmosphere.

Midgar Coffee is set to open in St John’s Street in early April under the leadership of Efe Develi - who has moved from London to Bury St Edmunds to start the business.

Mr Develi used to manage a coffee shop in Hackney with his brother but has moved to East Anglia for the chance to make his own mark.

Efe Devli is opening the business in the former Wolf in Sheep's Clothing shop in St John's Street. Picture by Mark Westley.
Efe Devli is opening the business in the former Wolf in Sheep's Clothing shop in St John's Street. Picture by Mark Westley.

He said: “There will be an album on, there will be art and the focus will be on speciality coffee. There will be food as well - but it is mainly based around coffee.

“It will be a relaxed atmosphere and it is going to be quirky.”

Midgar is currently taking shape in the former Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing unit and Mr Develi has been working hard to convert the premises into one suitable for a coffee shop.

Efe had previously run a coffee shop with his brother in Hackney. Picture by Mark Westley.
Efe had previously run a coffee shop with his brother in Hackney. Picture by Mark Westley.

“I was looking for locations and the original plan was to go to Cambridge,” he said. “But there was not much available so I changed to Bury.

“I was scouting the area. I have relocated now, I love the setting, it is a mixture of city living and a town. But I have been so busy working to get it ready that I have not seen the area all that much.”

St John’s Street is well known for its independent shops, and Mr Develi said this was exactly the area he imagined for Midgar.

“There is so much character,” he said. “This is a 1700s shop, it is a Grade II listed building.

“The road itself has so many independent shops and it is perfect for me.”

The opening date, which Mr Develi hopes will be in late March but is more likely to be early April, has been put back because of the pandemic. The owner had hoped to open last April.

He has not currently hired anyone but plans to take on two or three staff once the business is up and running.

Midgar will open, initially, as a takeaway business and from mid April customers will be able to sit on benches outside.

“After that we will be trying to open up as much as we can,” said Mr Develi, who aims to install tables inside once restrictions allow.

It all sounds great for anyone craving a coffee. But one obvious question remains, where does ‘Midgar’ come from? The name, Mr Develi says, is a world from Final Fantasy 7 - a PlayStation game he loved. Whether or not the café will transport customers to an otherworldly experience remains to be seen. But unlike the name, the coffee shop is very real.

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