Construction disruption temporarily shuts Coffee Bean

By Hyunsook Siutaia 14 July 2020, 10:00AM

The Coffee Bean Cafe announced it will close for an extended period due to disruptions to its trade caused by the construction of the Vaisigano bridge, which is now extending through August. 

The cafe made a public statement on Facebook that disruptions related to the construction of the Vaisigano Bridge left it no choice but for an extended closure. 

The post, made to the company’s official Facebook page, read:

"With a heavy heart, and a few tears, I've had to make the hard decision to close the doors for the time being,” the proprietor Andrew Pedrana wrote. 

“Unfortunately with the news from [the Land Transport Authority]\ that the road works for the new bridge [have] been pushed out until the end of August (if we're lucky). We will look to re-open once the road is completed. A huge thank you to all our loyal customers for the support over the years."

The Coffee Bean is one of Apia's oldest cafés. It was formerly operating on Falealili Street for 10 years before moving in 2018 to Beach Road where the old Congregational Christian Church of Samoa bookstore was.

The $43 million Vaisigano Bridge was scheduled to open in July. But due to delays caused by the recent closure of international borders, the project’s deadline has since been extended.

Earlier in January the Coffee Bean cafe was one of four business firms who complained of not being notified of the three-month closure around the construction zone surrounding the Vaisigano Bridge Project. 

The four businesses only found out about the closure two days before the road to their businesses was closed.

Previously Andrew Pedrana complained that he would have expected communication from the Government in advance of the road closure. 

The lack of communication was said to have affected traffic lead up to the cafe storefront, cut its sales and decimated it's lunchtime trade.

Mr. Pedrana declined to comment when contacted by the Samoa Observer saying that he had to talk with his lawyer first. He said he did not want to affect anything that he had already discussed with the Land Transport Authority. 












By Hyunsook Siutaia 14 July 2020, 10:00AM
Samoa Observer

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