Chicken Cottage on Tooley Street is set to close following the turn of the year. A shop with no shortage of love from the local people, particularly from children who visit the shop on a day-to-day basis after school, confirmed they will be relocating in 2020.

Rizwaan Malik, the shop owner of Chicken Cottage, said “It’s sad that we’re having to close down after ten years of owning this shop. We have built some amazing relationships with many regular customers who visit the shop often during their lunch breaks, and even children who flood the shop after 3’o’clock every day of the week.”

When quizzed on why the shop is being closed down, Malik, 36, revealed “we are planning to relocate to north London as we have not been achieving the business’ objectives. Business has been suffering for the last two-three years in particular, and as you may have noticed, there are not many shops like ours around these areas.

“We wanted to embark on a challenge when we opened this shop here, and we understood it came with risks,” Malik explained. “However, we have decided now is the right time to move on and relocate in a different area where we are optimistic will bring us more success despite having several more competitors nearby.”

Maisie Martins, 25, Manager at Tesco Metro, said “I’m actually pretty sad that Chicken Cottage will no longer be. This is the one shop I visit very often as I work in the Tesco Metro which is only a minute walk away. I come here almost every day for my lunch break as the shop is very close, prices are reasonable in comparison to most of the other restaurants here, and I also really enjoy the food.

Looks like I may soon have to settle for the average meal deal at Tesco for a while after Chicken Cottage close,” Martins continued. “It’s usually not too busy here for when I visit which is why I love coming here, but then again, that may just explain why the shop is relocating to a new area.”

There were many customers who were devastated upon hearing the news that Chicken Cottage will close in the coming months. Shaun Biggs, 34, said “I bring my little one every other day here after school. I only pick her up twice a week as I work most days in the week, and to hear that this shop will close down soon is really upsetting to know

We walk from Snowfields (primary school) to Tooley Street every time I pick my daughter up from school. You see, we only moved here a year ago, we lived in south London for all of my life and the obsession with a fast food restaurant like this started many years ago for me,” Biggs explained.

“It was a little difficult finding a good chicken shop around here when we moved. It will be quite sad to see this place go – I guess I’ll have to find a new place to take my daughter to as she loves coming here as much as I. Don’t think I’ll let her know just yet about us soon not being able to come here anymore – she won’t take the news well!”

A group of friends from City of London School couldn’t believe the news. “Are you serious? Nah, no way – I don’t believe that,” Daniel Hussain, 15, said. “If they’re closing I’m just going straight home after school now instead of spending another hour outside,” Hussain’s friend Sammy Adams, 14, added. “The only person that may be happy with this would be my mum; I’ll be home a lot earlier and I won’t be spending an extra £10 a week.

As my mum always says, ‘there’s food at home!’”