Retail in Chester seems to be constantly changing - and shops are often closing down and new ones opening in their place.
As we approach the middle of the year, we thought we would take a look back at the new additions the city centre has seen up to now since the start of 2019 - as well as the ones we have said goodbye to.
From shops and pubs to restaurants and small eateries - here are the things Chester has welcomed, and lost in 2019.
New openings
Jaunty Goat
Owners of the existing Chester coffee house Jaunty Goat opened a vegan café just a few streets away back in January.
All food and drink is entirely plant based at the Northgate Street venue and even cash isn't allowed - it's card payments only because the new £5 and £10 notes contain traces of animal fat.
Hypha
The city's first ever all vegan restaurant opened its doors on City Walls in early February, offering a wide range of vegan cuisine and cocktails.
Feedback has been hugely positive, and vegan Sunday roasts have been one of the restaurant's most popular menu staples.
Snugburys on the River
An ice cream café right on the banks of the River Dee - what could be better?
Snugburys On the River is the second site for popular Nantwich-based ice cream manufacturer Snugburys, opening for business in February.
It's packed to the rafters on sunny days as you can imagine, but on colder days the café specialises in hot puddings.
Chip'd
This Dutch-inspired artisan 'posh' chip shop opened on Northgate Street in February, inspired by the 'twice fried' potato chips and sauces commonly served in the Netherlands.
All chips at Chip'd follow a 'Chip, Flip, Dip’ cooking process and when they're perfectly fried, they're flipped in sea salt and served in a cone.
Les's Fish Bar
Less than a year after Steak & Shake on Frodsham Street closed its doors, another chippy set up home in its place.
Family-run Les's Fish Bar opened in early May, with 'Codfather of Sole' Les Manning at the helm, who has been running award-winning fish and chip shops across the North West for almost four decades.
Travelbag
Travel company Travelbag specialises in creating bespoke holidays for customers to long haul destinations like Dubai and Australia.
The new store opened in the former East premises on Bridge Street in late May.
Closures
Gino's Gelato
Only two years after it first opened, ice cream parlour Gino's Gelato on Northgate Street closed suddenly back in January.
Despite customers regularly seen queuing out of the door for traditional Italian ice cream, coffee, crepes and waffles, staff were seen packing up and emptying the shop - with no explanation given for the closure.
Oasis
A mainstay of Chester city centre for decades, many were shocked when fashion clothing store Oasis closed its doors suddenly in March.
A specific reason was never given but a number of other UK branches of Oasis had opened outlets in some Sainsburys supermarkets.
The small Oasis outlet in Brown's of Chester remains open.
Patisserie Valerie
Chester lost its branch of Patisserie Valerie on Bridge Street after the cake chain collapsed into administration in January.
A number of the company's branches closed, but the Cheshire Oaks shop has remained open.
Crabtree & Evelyn
The luxury bath retailer, a mainstay on Bridge Street for many years launched a large closing down sale before it closed in early April.
It followed the closure of other UK branches in York and Chichester after the retailer closed its stores in Canada and filed for bankruptcy protection.
Independent businesses in Chester
Jack Burrito
Only two years after it opened, Jack Burrito on Northgate Street announced its closure to focus on online delivery.
Chester had been used as the launch pad for the restaurant's unique fusion concept of jacket potatoes and burritos but customers will still be able to access their menu on Deliveroo and UberEats.
Hat Place
Another shop closing to trade permanently online was The Hat Place, also on Northgate Street.
The shop had been retailing casual and formal hats of all shapes and sizes for years, but from now on customers will only be able to purchase items on their website.
And Albert
Having been trading in the city centre for 24 years, gift shop And Albert closed in April.
The shop's manager Matthew Sutton told CheshireLive that reasons for the closure were 'complex' but cited declining sales as one of the factors.
He suggested Chester was missing a forum where retailers and the council are able to get together to discuss how to open more shops and attract more people.
Scandinavian Living
Sister shops Scandinavian Living and Scandinavian Home, both on St Werburgh Street, closed suddenly in March after bailiffs issued a court enforcement order.
Signs appeared in the windows of both stores, explaining that bailiffs had secured both premises and goods needed to be collected imminently.
CheshireLive spoke to owner Nina Lindberg who said she had asked landlords for more time to reach a compromise in payment but was rebuffed.
She blamed expensive rents and lack of business from Chester residents for the shops' failure to survive.
Independent businesses in Chester
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