After an incredible community effort to raise over £80,000 from crowdfunding and £120,000 in loans and investment, La Camionera has been able to open on Well Street in Hackney. However due to its current license it can only operate under half its proposed seated capacity and must close at 11pm on the weekend, and 10pm on Sunday. We've been working with Hackney Nights and Hackney Council to ensure our presence within the community upholds the licensing objectives and is a positive impact on the local community, however there has been opposition to our presence here, we need all the support we can get to help us make an alteration on our license and be able to have enough customers in the building to keep us surviving and thriving.

 

Here is a copy of our application:

 

 

     We would like to extend our our opening hours and hours we are allowed to sell alcohol to become the same as The Gun public house on the same street. This would mean selling alcohol until 23:30 Sunday through Thursday (and closing at 00:00) and until 00:30 on Fridays and Saturdays (and closing at 01:00). We hope that stopping alcohol sales half an hour before closing will assist with the gradual and quiet dispersal of customers.

 

We would also like to remove condition 11 on our license.

 

We would also like to remove condition 12 on our license, though we expect the majority of people to be seated we would like customers the opportunity to interact with other customers seated elsewhere as we are a space for building community.

 

We hope to help by requesting that on condition 13 we will close our outdoor spaces earlier than 22:00 PM as stated, and instead at 21:30 PM.

 

We are also on our way to becoming Hackney Nights accredited and have attached our in house policies with the application.

 

"La Camionera" is anticipated to operate as a cafe by day and bar by evening and is licensed to sell alcohol and serve food. "La Camionera" is a LGBTQI+ venue and will operate as a wholly inclusive community-driven space. This ethos has been informed by "La Camionera's" Indiegogo Campaign [a third-party crowdfunding platform], which has seen thousands of London residents contribute over £90,000 towards the start-up costs of creating the space. "La Camionera's" represents our patrons' wishes, including creating an accessible bathroom and bar space. Despite this excitement and support from the community, “La Camionera” has actively communicated the importance of its proximity to the local community, and as such is ensuring a bookings-only operation for customers so that there is no opportunity for public nuisance from crowds.

 

Founded by active members of the London LGBTQI+ community, designed and built by Hackney residents and supported by patrons from across the city, "La Camionera" is intended to provide an alternative to club atmospheres and create a relaxed space that becomes a thriving addition to the existing businesses of Well Street and as a friendly face to local residents. 

 

Breakdown of day trade and evening trade: 

 

Day Trade: 

During the day, "La Camionera" will operate as a casual spot for patrons to enjoy speciality coffee, catch up with friends, or work from their laptops. With ample plug outlets and various seating configurations, it encourages both work and social activities. Our day trading hours are overseen by staff with specialised skills in day-time business operations, ensuring a smooth and productive environment for all. 

Evening Trade: 

By evening, "La Camionera" will transition into a low-key bar environment, serving specially sourced alcoholic, low and non-alcoholic beverages and an evolving menu of snacks and small plates. Careful consideration has been taken towards sourcing drink options to cater to our patrons' and future walk-in customers' various needs. 
Regarding the sounds emitted from the premises, "La Camionera" is taking several steps to ensure that sound does not impact local residents. As such, music at the venue will be limited to background recorded noise played over internal speakers, and no sound systems will be installed in the garden to the rear of the property. 

"La Camionera has also dedicated time to designing robust policies across various factors, including dispersal and crowd control measures to mitigate any impact on neighbours. Management will actively review these policies and see them as evolving documents, and local residents will be encouraged to provide feedback at all times. Our evening hours are overseen by staff with specialised skills in night-time business operations, ensuring a smooth and productive environment for all.