Experienced cafe owner snaps up Town Hall opportunity

Ipswich businessman Kie Humphreys has snapped up the opportunity to run a cafe in the grand setting of Ipswich Town Hall.

Experienced cafe operator Kie has run a number of businesses in town.

He also operates The Continental Colours Cafe at Ipswich Waterfront and Cafe Siena within the arts building at UCS.

Kie said: “This is a lovely room in a very special building, right here in the centre of town.

“It is a real privilege to have the opportunity and to have this space.

“It is such a beautiful, inspiring building.

“I am really pleased and people are already finding us.

“I want to develop the afternoon teas side of the business, we have lots of lovely locally made cakes. They are already proving popular.

“There is such a lot of space here, and lots of things take place in the Town Hall building too.

“I also hope to open in the evenings when there are arts and other events taking place.”

Kie Humphreys has been a cafe owner in Ipswich for more than 13 years, with the best known the Continental Colours overlooking the marina.

“This is only the second week of Town & Tea,” he said.

“We got it open in 22 hours, it was amazing.

“I had done a cafe in eight days before and 22 hours is a feat that is difficult to repeat.

“We have transformed it.

“We have put in all new furniture to freshen it up, and I have a few more changes I want to make as we go along.

“Of course, we have a good reputation which we have transferred here.

“People know us, and what we do.

“I want to bring a piano in so we can have a pianist playing in the afternoons.

“It is such a lovely space. I absolutely love it.”

Town & Tea cafe is entered through the main front door and reception lobby of the Town Hall.

It is opening from 8am daily, Tuesday to Saturday, he said.

That makes him a seven days a week cafe operator, with his other coffee houses in town.