A longstanding Nelson cafe and food store has been forced to close because of rising costs and the loss of customers due to ongoing roadworks.
Prego Mediterranean Foods & Comida Cafe is shutting its doors after 19 years. It announced its closure this week and is now under the control of a liquidator.
Owner Claudia Kern said the closure was a result of economic pressures that began during Covid-19, the economic slowdown that followed, the ongoing impact of road closures due to extensive central city infrastructure upgrades, and rising freight costs due to the Iran War.
“You look at the money coming in and you have rent to pay and you have staff wages to pay and then, what are you going to pay the other bills with?”
Kern said breaking the…