McCann’s Coffee Shop will be permanently closed to customers from next week.
Social media influencer Max McCann opened the shop in The Kennet Centre last May using just £300.
Max McCann pictured when he turned the empty retail unit into a coffee shop and community space
But he has since told newburytoday that his shop and online seasoning brand, Blendship Seasoning, are no longer sustainable to run and that he will be closing both by January 13.
“It’s not sustainable to keep it going,” said Mr McCann, from Tadley.
“I had the option of potentially investing more money into it, but I didn’t want to do that given The Kennet Centre is more than likely going to get knocked down at some point.”
Mr McCann has provided thousands of free meals and drinks to the homeless and those in need locally through his Pay it Forward initiative, as well as giving local artists a venue to sell and display their work.
And tributes have been pouring in since he shared the news of the closure online.
“What an absolute shame. Places like this are what is needed in society,” said one customer.
“Sorry to hear this but be super proud of what you’ve done. I’m glad I managed to visit and buy some of your seasonings,” posted another.
Reflecting on how the venture started, Mr McCann added: “When we moved in, it was literally just a concrete floor and nothing else.
“I guess everything that we’ve been able to achieve so far wouldn’t have been possible without the support from the community.
“In particular, I want to thank everyone that helped us set up the coffee shop in the first place.
“There were lots of local small businesses and tradesmen that helped us renovate. If we didn’t have their help, we probably wouldn’t have been able to get it all up and running.
“Part of it was community funding to help get some of the furnishings in there, but there was a local flooring company that helped us to get all of the new flooring in.
“A local marble company donated the marble countertop that we’ve got for the coffee counter.
“A construction company helped us install and fit the actual coffee counter and sorted all of the plumbing.
“A local electrician did all of the electrics for us for free. We bought all of the tables and chairs and things like that from a charity shop.
“Someone donated a coffee machine, so we’re going to be giving that back to them.
“All of the other equipment like fridges, freezers and stuff we bought so we’re going to be selling those.”
But Mr McCann also shared he will be continuing to post on his TikTok account (@mealswithmax), where he enjoys more than two million followers.
But what’s next for the man behind the brand?
He concluded by saying: “I won’t be like rushing into another business or anything like that.
“I’m thinking of maybe traveling and exploring loads of different foods and cultures from around the world, and to create recipes based off my travels.”