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Owner of sweet shop had just 97 cent in bank after paying bills

‘I pity all small businesses out there. All I wanted was a break,’ says Ednan Hameed who is closing his business in Navan

Ednan Hameed with his wife, Sobia, and their three children in their sweet shop on Navan's Railway Street. Photograph: Alan Betson
Ednan Hameed with his wife, Sobia, and their three children in their sweet shop on Navan's Railway Street. Photograph: Alan Betson
Louise Walsh
Fri Feb 24 2023 - 17:00

A sweet shop owner who had just 97 cent in his business account after paying all his increased bills last week says he has regretfully decided to close the business for the sake of his mental health.

Ednan Hameed said he had “no shame” in admitting that rising costs and inadequate State support left himself and his wife in tears when making the decision to shut the family’s Yummy Creames shop in Navan, Co Meath, on Friday evening.

The colourful and popular sweet shop was opened almost two years ago by the couple with money they had saved in the hope of passing the family business down to their three children.

However, surging prices of traditional sweets such as bonbons and toffee mice, coupled with an almost threefold rise in his electricity bill, have left the 42-year-old shop owner admitting defeat.

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“I’m a born and bred Irish man and I worked all my life in different jobs. I worked in the rag trade, in the restaurant business, as a Dublin taxi driver, a security job and even in Carrolls Gift Shop in Dublin,” he said.

“I had about eight jobs in seven years and my wife, Sobia, worked as a carer. We really struggled at that time but we managed to save a bit of money and took a short-term let out on this shop in our home town.

“We did this from our hearts, from our pockets and with all our work. That’s the way we wanted to do things. We didn’t want handouts and we wanted to hand this business down to our children Ayesha (15), Saad (13) and Tayyab (10).

“But rates, VAT and increased prices finished us. It seems that no one wants to give you a break.

Ednan Hameed with his wife, Sobia, and children, Ayesha (15), Tayyab (10) and Saad (13), who have all helped to run the shop. Photograph: Alan Betson
Ednan Hameed with his wife, Sobia, and children, Ayesha (15), Tayyab (10) and Saad (13), who have all helped to run the shop. Photograph: Alan Betson

“I’ve no shame in saying this because I know that I tried but last week, after 22 months of trading, all I had was 97 cent in my business account after paying all the bills and my suppliers. It was the first time though that I’d ever been late paying the rent.

[ Irish consumer sentiment lifts slightly as inflation moderates ]

“My electricity bill was about €400 when I was in contract and now it has soared to about €1,000. Soft scoop ice-cream was about €12 a packet when we opened, it rose to €15 and when I bought stock last month, it was over €23. But the ice-cream machine broke anyway two weeks ago and we hadn’t got the €1,200 needed to fix it.

“We pride ourselves on the traditional sweets like bonbons, pear drops and cola cubes but these have jumped from €3.30 a kilo to €7.20 per kilo. Even the chocolate toffee mice 2.5kg tubs have increased in cost from €12.60 to €18.90.

“A break-in at the shop before Christmas which left us feeling violated didn’t help our mindset either,” he says.

[ SME confidence dips as inflation eats away at profits ]

“No one owns a small business anymore. The Government and the taxman own it and I think they don’t give a crap about the likes of me or my kids or how I survive, to be honest. But what do they want us to do? To go on the dole, which we are trying to avoid? We are trying to avoid any type of social welfare but we don’t have much choice now.

“I think the era has gone for the small family business and I am really saddened by this. All I wanted was a break and, just like every other parent, to see my children settled in years to come and this was the whole point of us setting up this business.

“People have been so good since learning of the closure. One man even offered me a loan of €20,000 but I have lost my heart and when you lose your heart in anything, you should just step away. I’ve cried and cried but there is nothing more I can do.

The family have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love shown to them since telling their customers that the shop was closing. Photograph: Alan Betson
The family have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love shown to them since telling their customers that the shop was closing. Photograph: Alan Betson

“Kids are coming in over the last few days with cards and drawings for us and customers have been crying. The outpouring of love shown to us has been so overwhelming and, to be honest, has saved me from the utter despair that I was feeling.

“I pity all small businesses out there. It just seems that the big businesses are getting bigger while the small businesses are disappearing.

“If you are struggling in business, don’t have any shame in walking away. Your mental health and your family and friends are more valuable than any wealth in this world.”