Good Inside café shifts to private events as rising costs force business change

Why it matters: Good Inside Social, which opened in 2023, has built a loyal following for its small plates, locally sourced ingredients and relaxed atmosphere, but has become the latest hospitality business forced to adapt its model to survive.

The details: Owners Surrey Rogers and Gabrielle Bloomfield announced the change in a message to customers on Monday, 4 November, after closing the café at 16 St Margaret's Green for a week to finalise their decision.

• The café will no longer operate regular daytime service.

• Instead, the space will be used exclusively for private events, including dinner parties, Christmas gatherings and boozy brunches.

• The business will operate on this model as a trial until the end of December, when the owners will reassess their position.

Behind the rethink: The owners cited multiple financial pressures that made the original business model unsustainable:

• Major rises in the cost of living

• Massive hikes in produce prices

• Soaring electricity and water bills

• The ongoing impact on customers' spending power

What they're saying: "We knew the risks of opening our own place and what we were getting into back in 2023, and we were willing to give it a go despite these challenges as having our own cafe was something we'd both really wanted to do for years," Rogers and Bloomfield said.

Good Inside Social

"Hospitality has always been a tough trade to be a part of for many reasons, the major being financial. You don't need us to tell you all the ways in which cafes, pubs, bars, etc. are being affected by a multitude of reasons that are beyond our control as an industry."

They added: "We've always tried to maintain our affordability to our many new and returning customers, as well as trying to make a small profit, which is proving harder and harder all the time."

Rogers said: "We've loved every moment of running Good Inside Social and being part of the Ipswich community. This change isn't goodbye - it's just a new way of sharing what we do best: really good food and good times with the people we love cooking for."

Bloomfield added: "We're sad to stop regular café service, but we're really excited to keep the space alive in a different way – hosting the kind of get-togethers that Good Inside was built for. Think private dinner parties, festive celebrations, and those long, boozy brunches with your favourite people."

What's next: The café's updated website went live today (Tuesday, 4 November) with details of private event bookings and menus. Bookings are currently being taken until the end of the year, with the business model to be reviewed in early 2026.

For context: Situated just outside Christchurch Park, Good Inside Social opened in spring 2023 and quickly became known for its "long, lazy brunches and casual, cosy suppers filled with plates of good, honest food."

The bottom line: After two years of serving the local community, Good Inside needs loyal and new customers to help sustain its new chapter by booking private events before the end-of-year review that will determine whether the business can continue in Ipswich.