Swanage’s much loved shop, The Emporium, has reopened its doors following months of extensive renovation work, with plans to launch a new community cafe soon.
The Kings Road East shop, which raises funds for The Loft and its community hub, expanded into the former Tawny’s wine bar in summer 2025, but was forced to close down suddenly when concerns were raised about the condition of the building.
The Swanage Emporium, on Kings Road East, now connects to upper floor premises on High Street
A warm welcome for everyone
Since then the Emporium team, led by Howard Tizard and Trevor Linger with the help of dedicated volunteers and staff, has worked tirelessly to rebuild and improve the space, installing new ceilings, electrics, lighting and a fire alarm system.
It has now reopened, with access from The Emporium through to its new upper floor on the High Street, almost doubling the shop floor space allowing more room to display house clearance goods.
But the expansion also gives The Emporium a chance to open a cafe in the former Tawny’s Bar which will feature outdoor summer seating and the chance for customers to take as long as they like over a coffee and a cake.
Expected to open by early November 2025, the cafe will be an extension of The Loft where food will be available at reduced costs for those on low incomes and where there will always be a warm welcome for everyone.
Howard Tizard says the main aim of the expansion is to help out more people
“It’s all about connection”
Howard Tizard said:
“We want our community cafe to be a welcoming place, and if someone wants to sit with a cup of tea for a couple of hours because they need some company, they’ll be very welcome. Making money isn’t the main aim, it’s about helping people and creating a friendly space.
“We don’t want to be seen as a cheap cafe, nor as a rival for places like Love Cake. Prices will be similar to elsewhere in town, but if you’re part of The Loft community you might get a 50 percent discount, or a loyalty card – it’s going to be all about connection, not competition.
“We want the atmosphere to be relaxed and inclusive, if people want to come in, sit down and drink a cup of tea for a couple of hours because they want company, they’ll be very welcome. There will be no pressure to buy or to leave, making money will not be our main aim.
“We are also looking to install a disabled toilet, as there aren’t many disabled facilities up this end of the High Street. It’s something we really want to do, not just for the shop, but for Swanage as a whole.
“Our coffee machine is being serviced again, and we’re hoping to have a quiet soft opening for the café soon, then once we know it’s all working, we’ll tell people and open properly by early November. We’ve signed a ten-year lease, and I think it’s going to be something special for Swanage.”
Work is still in progress – but by early November 2025, the Emporium should have a new community cafe
“The grown up part of Swanage!”
Howard added:
“It’s all been slightly mad since summer. When the fire officer came in, he didn’t like what he saw – some old wires hanging down – and he told us that we needed immediate, essential safety work and shut us down that same day, which was a real shock.
“We decided to rebuild properly, with brand new ceilings, fire safety systems, and a fresh layout. We’ve probably used over 200 sheets of plasterboard and now it’s lighter, brighter, and a much better experience for everyone!
“Our landlord has been brilliant, he’s even helped us with the work, and we’ve managed to keep on all our staff during the closure, where a lot of firms might have let people go. That was important to us.
“We have been busy working for the past few weeks, and we have now been fully approved by the fire officer to open the shop, all the electrics and fire alarm system have been checked and signed off, which we were waiting for before we could let people come through.
“We reopened for the weekend of the blues festival and it was buzzing, there were so many people about which was a nice little bonus for us, and The Emporium has been a lot busier than before.
“We missed the high season, but the High Street is becoming a much livelier area after Selina moved in with her flowers at Tied and the guys at The Narrows created a real buzz – it seems to have become the grown up part of Swanage!”
Recycling, repairing and reusing – as well as raising money to support the work of The Loft and The Hub
Small workshop to repair items
The Emporium, which first opened four years ago, plays a vital role in supporting The Loft, an established community space that runs weekly social lunches, walking groups and other local projects.
Funds raised through sales at The Emporium help keep these initiatives running, but there is a second important objective behind its work – its commitment to recycling and sustainability, giving unwanted items a second life and keeping as much as possible out of landfill.
Howard and his team take on house clearances and try to reuse, recycle, or repurpose as much as possible, even taking cleaning products from kitchens to use in The Emporium, and collecting tins of food to go to The Loft or Swanage food bank.
The expanded Emporium will also feature a small workshop for repairing items and a wine store repurposed as a tool shed, where rescued tools can be restored and resold.
More floor space in the old Tawny’s Wine Bar means more display space for preloved treasures
“We’ll end up with a much better shop”
Howard Tizard said:
“It’s amazing what people throw away, sometimes relatives just want a house cleared quickly and don’t realise what’s inside it.
“We go through everything and sell what we can at The Emporium, often for a bargain price, and if there’s something more valuable, like an antique, we sell it through the shop @61 to make a bit more for The Loft.
“It’s good for everyone, and with more floor space available to us we will be able to display more items, recycle even lighter levels of unwanted goods, make more money for The Loft and end up with a much better shop.
“It will be lighter and brighter, give a much better experience and I am really looking forward to having the cafe up and running.
“There are a lot of lonely people in Swanage, and if this place can give them somewhere to go, to have a chat, a coffee, and feel part of something, then that’s what it’s all about. We may not make a fortune, but we’ll be doing something good, for people and for the planet.”
A stairway and corridors between floors gives The Emporium space to hang artwork for sale
False ceilings were removed in Tawny’s, opening up roof space for the first time
The upper floor of The Emporium used to be Swanage’s Smiths department store
Both floors of the extended store are now open – come on in!
Further information
- More about The Emporium on its Facebook page
