The Italian Loft, Westhoughton, owners set for new adventure

The Italian Loft on Market Street has been put up for let or may sell, as owner Daniel McGuire plans to start a new adventure opening a children’s home with his wife closer to home in Lancashire.

Daniel said he took over the business 12 months ago from his friend and it has proven to be a challenge for a number of reasons including staffing and it is now time for him to move on into a new industry and be closer to home in Preston.

Speaking about the closure, Daniel said he is "gutted" but "excited" for his next step.

He said: “I was finding it hard to staff the business really, I have been quite busy and myself and my wife are currently in the process of setting up our own business and we were constantly relying on staff to turn up and we were just being let down and we just couldn’t get the staff.

The Italian Loft (Image: Daniel McGuire)

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“The business has been closed since Christmas, so it is costing me to be closed and I was toying with the idea, and I put advertisements out for new managers and staff, and nothing was coming really.

“And there just doesn’t seem to be the staff out there, so I just thought it was time.

“I own the Fireaway downstairs, and I had four Fireaways with my business partners and I was building the shops.

“We owned the rights to the franchise across the North West which we have just recently sold, so I was building the shops and my friends were running the shops.

“Then one of my friends wanted to go off and do his own adventure, so he said you take the shop on Dan, it runs itself and so I took over and I’m not from the hospitality sector and I ended up with both businesses.

“And because I’m not from that sector I have been struggling over the last 12 months with just getting my head around the industry, so now we have just decided it is time for a change."

Not only will The Italian Loft be up for let/sale, the Fireaway eatery downstairs is also going on the market as Daniel and his wife plan to open a children's home.

The Italian Loft and Fireaway (Image: Daniel McGuire)

Daniel said: "Fireaway will also be going up for sale as well as we are in the process of opening a children’s home at the moment so that is where we are going next.

“My wife is a social worker and wants to give a better service, so we are going into a totally different avenue now.

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“We live in Preston and have two children, so we are constantly travelling between the two, going back and forth between home and work.

“It just doesn’t work, and our lives have just gotten so busy and its now time to sort of start something new.

“It is a shame.

“I am gutted really; it was running great when my friends were running it, but I just don’t have the knack for it, and I am struggling.

“Living so far away and having a shortage of staff and being a family man, I can’t fill in the gaps when someone doesn’t turn up because I live so far away.

“I’m absolutely gutted I put my life savings into this, it was thriving a year ago, but shortages of staff and other pressures have impacted it.

“Our new care home will be in Fleetwood, and we are hoping to go nationwide, my wife wants to make a difference and she is so passionate about it.

“We are really excited for our new adventure, we feel we can make a difference no matter how small it might be, for that one child we are going to make a difference.”

Letting or buying the businesses will allow people to come away from the businesses that are already in place, or they can also stay as part of the Fireaway franchise, it is completely up to the buyer/letter.

For more information about the businesses, contact Daniel on 07566778227.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.