Stephen ‘Chaplin’s’ Queen is retiring at Grantown
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Chaplin's Coffee Shop & Ice Cream Parlour on Grantown’s High Street has closed and along with it another era in the Strathspey capital’s retail history.
The man who ran the shop for 15 years and turned it into something of an institution has decided the time is right to move on.
Stephen Queen, who assumed the mantel after a lifetime in hospitality - most of it with Macdonald Resorts - told the Strathy earlier this week that there were many reasons behind his decision not to renew his lease, allowing others their shot at the popular premises.
“Frankly it’s tough these days. it’s a compilation of so many things, not least the soaring cost of running a business, what with rocketing energy prices and stock,” he said.
“Staff is ever more difficult to find and keep.
“There has been such a culture change over the last few years, with youngsters not so committed any more to staying at their posts. There are so many distractions.
“And while I’m only 63 my knees aren’t - arthritis is finding its way in and it seems a very good time now to call it a day and think about realising a long-held dream to do a bit of travelling, while I still can.
“At the very least I want to savour the Snow Roads and a trip along the NC500.
“But there are a lot of other places I intend to see, now that I have the freedom.
“Working in the coffee shop was a joy and I met so many lovely people - and worked with quite a few, too, over the years - but it was very tying”.
One of the highlights of the Grantown man’s career in the town was helping to celebrate the Strathspey capital’s 250th anniversary in 2015.
All kinds of local folk were recruited for an army of dancers during the making of a commemorative video.
The video drew on the Proclaimers’ “500 miles” and Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” and Mr Queen rose to the occasion as the “Pies Piper” happily leading half the town down the High Street at one point.
He also starred with bowler hat and stick in his own routine at the cafe he named after his silent film hero famed for his ‘Little Tramp’ routine.
“It was great fun being a part of all that,” he recalled this week.
“We all enjoyed being part of a fun project.
“But so much has changed. We had no idea what the future held for us all.
“I’ve lost some good friends and family since then and, of course, the Covid pandemic came in with such devastating consequences for the economy.
“So many good businesses did not survive it and it’s obvious that many are still trying to.
“It’s clearly going to be a long haul and some will not survive.
“The town will, although it’s so sad that we no longer have some of the great attractions we once all benefitted from such as the long-running Motor Mania event and the truck festival.
“It’s good that the Harley-Davidson rally is still going on though and who know what other good things will appear over the horizon for the community in the time to come.”
Mr Queen added: “I do wish everyone the very best but, frankly, speaking for myself I know it’s the right time now to make the break and give others a chance to do their own thing with the lease of my lovely old coffee house on the High Street.”
