Hello, Clevedon and all food lovers. We are the proud owners of Escala Tapas on Clevedon Seafront. After 3 years of serving our community unforgettable meals and creating cherished memories, we had to close our doors due to multiple rounds of roadworks by North Somerset Council. We are reaching out to you today because we need your support to reopen our beloved restaurant to continue doing what we love, which is serving our local community.
Our Story:
Escala Tapas has always been more than just a place to eat; it’s a gathering spot for families, friends, and food enthusiasts. Since opening in 2022 we have emphasised fresh, local ingredients and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Our passion for Spanish Tapas has drawn a loyal following, and we have won awards for our innovative dishes and exceptional service.
However, like many restaurants, we have faced unprecedented challenges; the cost of living crisis, the continued failure of the Government to provide any support for small hospitality businesses, the increase in staff costs (set to go up again in April), etc etc. On top of all this we had to deal with the significant impact on our business of the first round of roadworks/road closure in 2022 when North Somerset Council carried out their infamous Clevedon seafront "improvement" scheme. Fast forward to February 2025 when we were faced with the same situation again, with the works beginning to reverse the changes made by the initial scheme.
The current works could not have started at a worse time for Escala. The winter season is notoriously difficult for coastal venues, particularly for those relying heavily on evening trade. Our business model has always been based on the spring/summer months 'seeing us through' the winter, in simplistic terms. The beginning of March is the exact time we would usually see bookings start to increase, visitor numbers to the area going up and an overall boost in trade. Unfortunately we could already get a sense of the impact of the road closure before it had even started, with a downturn in bookings and even customers cancelling tables specifically due the works.
We were therefore faced with an extremely difficult decision, which sadly resulted in us closing.
However, we don't want this to be the end of Escala for good and we hope you feel the same way. We still have ongoing costs such as rent, utilities, payments to suppliers, an upcoming VAT bill (to name a few) so in order to re-open we need to raise enough capital to make this possible. We hope that our Clevedon community in which we live, work and our children go to school in, love Escala as much as we do. We know that it's a big ask and that times are tough for everyone, but we sincerely hope that if everyone donates just a little, Escala will be here for many more sunny summers to come.
We wanted to finish by sharing some of the reviews we have received over the past 3 years from our lovely customers, to remind us what we're missing :-)
“Once again the best tapas! The flavours were superb, the service unfaltering and the atmosphere lovely. Better than tapas we’ve had in Spain. We look forward to coming again soon.”
“Lovely setting on Clevedon sea front. The range and quality of freshly made tapas is superb. Puddings to die for and great service. One of my favourite places to eat and meet with friends.”
“Beautiful tasty artistically presented meal. Very friendly staff. Went the extra mile with a candle in my dessert as it was my birthday. Will be returning. Thank you team Escala.”
“Excellent food, wine, service and atmosphere. Staff were very friendly and attentive, and the food was delicious! Great choice of wine and a varied tapas menu. Lovely setting and atmosphere by the sea. A little taste of Spain in North Somerset!”
“Our first visit and definitely not our last! Absolutely excellent food the freshest seafood and the attention to detail in customer service too. A wow experience for us.”
“The kindest staff, lovely atmosphere and decor. Incredible food. Thank you Escala, we will be back.”