A FORMER employee has been brought back to manage a city centre café and has brought with him lots of ideas on how to improve the business including giving customers a golden ticket.

Salisbury resident Rakmot Ali, 22 worked for the company as an assistant manager at Carwardine’s café on Bridge Street before leaving to work as a plasterer but he is now back and has brought a sense of passion with him.  

Salisbury Journal: Image: NewsquestImage: Newsquest (Image: Annette J Beveridge, Newsquest)

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He said: “The owner has given me free rein. We have new tables and are looking to have a new outside canopy.

"We are also trying to help people with the cost-of-living crisis and have come up with a golden ticket idea. The customers will be given an envelope with 20 percent, 50 per cent or 100 per cent off. It’s an incentive for them to come back.”

Carwardine’s first opened as a coffee house in Salisbury in 1992 serving coffee, tea, and light snacks. Now, it serves a full menu of English breakfasts and meals.

The menu is also likely to be changed soon but not drastically.

Rakmot said: "Some meals will be cheaper and others may be more expensive."

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Rakmot was clear about his intent.

He added: “So many companies are closing down at the moment. So, it is just about keeping the café going. The owner Christopher Carwardine has lots of experience and knowledge that I can learn from, but he isn’t in this for the money.”

Rakmot admitted he was there for the long term.

"We had our record Saturday for the year last week, and I love Saturdays. They are great with everyone in working and all the customers coming in."

Rakmot spends a lot of time in the kitchen so eventually, he would love to have someone else doing the cooking so he could focus on managing the cafe more and interacting with the customers.