A CAFE which has been at the heart of Greenock for more than 20 years is preparing to close its doors for the final time.

The One 18 Caffe in Cathcart Street has sadly not survived the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Owner Teresa McGlynn says she's devastated to have to close after being in the town for almost 23 years, but has been left with no option.

Teresa, 68, said: "The virus was the nail in the coffin.

"No one would have thought we would last as long as we did.

"It's no longer viable and it's costing me more money to keep it open."

Teresa says that before the pandemic hit, the cafe was doing well and all set for a new era.

The businesswoman worked to get an alcohol licence for the venue and finally secured it in September 2019.

She planned to open the cafe in a bistro style at night and was excited about the new developments, then Covid put paid to her plans.

After coronavirus hit, Teresa and her team - Kristinna Dunne and Scott Brown - tried doing takeaways but it didn't really take off.

Teresa says losing that face-to-face contact with customers has been a big part of the downturn.

She said: "We tried opening a couple of times but we just weren't busy enough.

"This is a mini commercial area and a lot of the businesses are still not up and running again yet, so we weren't getting anyone coming in for their lunch.

"Our customer base is right across the board and we do get a lot of elderly and retired people coming in.

"Some of our customers were initially quite scared to be out and about at the start of the pandemic so that really affected things.

"A lot of our customers are also some of the more vulnerable people in the community.

"Things have just been stacking up against us."

Teresa had to furlough her colleagues Kristinna, who has been with her for 16 years, and Scott, who has worked in the cafe for eight.

She said she's always had 'fabulous' staff and thanked them for all their support over the years.

Teresa decided to launch her own business after taking gaining a Master of Business Administration qualification at the University of Glasgow.

She had previously worked in the whisky industry for 12 years and in finance for eight years.

Her husband worked as a nurse at Lynedoch House and Teresa found out that the Cathcart Street units were up for rent as she was spending time in the area.

She took it on in 1998 and says she's proud to have been the first of the new style coffee shops in Greenock.

One of the highlights for Teresa over the years was the first Tall Ships Race in the summer of 1999.

She said: "Everyone was in high spirits and we were open until midnight.

"It was just a glorious time.

"The cafe has been such a big part of people's lives and it's certainly been a big part of mine.

"Greenock has been very good to me.

"I've met so many customers and a lot of them have become friends, I've watched whole families grow up.

"I just want to say sorry to my customers for how it's ended and to thank them for their loyalty over the years."

Teresa, 68, has no definite plans about her next steps but is sure that she doesn't want to retire just yet.

She said: "I took up windsurfing two years ago so I want to do more of that.

"I don't want to retire - I'm not ready for it."

The businesswoman is sure that the cafe space will go to someone who will build up another successful business.

She added: "I don't think it will lie empty for long, it's in a brilliant location and there's space for outdoor seating.

"I'm sure it will do well."