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There were mixed reactions from Caledonian Road café owners after coffee giant Costa opened its second shop in the street on Saturday.

The coffee chain opened its first shop near the underground station in 2014 but it has now moved into the heart of the Cally with a new shop at the junction with Huntingdon Street.

“Of course I’m worried,” said Ramazar Bilgic, owner of Joe’s Café. “This is going to cause us very big problems, with the rent and bills we have to pay. There are already too many cafés. I’ve been here 15 years and I used to have seven staff – now just two.”

To Mr Bilgic’s ire, Costa also has a contract with the Co-operative supermarket to sell coffee at the petrol station and the Co-operative super­market opposite its new branch. He added: “What can I do? I might even sell the place next year.”

There are currently few chain retailers on the Cally, with just two Tesco Express shops at either end, the Co-op in the middle, an Iceland and two betting shops.

Chris Huntley, who works at Kigi Café and Restaurant and grew up in the area, was more balanced about the advent of the new Costa branch.

“It’s been bleak since the recession and I don’t think the Cally is on the way up,” he said. “Costa coming here means they bring a different element to the Cally than the family-run businesses. The Cally does have to come into the 21st century. Offices that there were before have disappeared, so it would be great if there is a reason for other people from outside to come here.”

The new coffee shop is a franchise operated by family business SBR Trading, which also runs the other Costa in Cale­donian Road and 30 other branches across London.

SBR operations manager Sammy Zaman said: “The middle part of the road is in dire need of regeneration and we want to be part of kick­start­ing that process. Costa has heavily invested in the building and we think it should attract more people to the area. We are look­ing forward to more big names and brands coming to Caledonian Road.

“We truly feel that this will add value to the area, it can only have a positive effect.”

Caledonian ward councillor Paul Convery said: “I think on balance it’s positive. If the café business is a zero-sum game, then Costa is going to be a problem. But if it attracts customers who are currently not coming here and it increases footfall, and becomes more habitual for people east of Cally to come and use the shops, then that’s a good thing.”