15b, Imperial Arcade, Brighton

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 20 Sep 2015

Currently home to the longest serving business in the arcade and one I started using back in the late 1980s. The independent cafe faces tough competition from Starbucks next to the Western Road entrance and Caffe Nero also on Western Road. However, what differentiates it from the others is its provision of freshly cooked food and attracts an older clientele than the more modern coffee shops along with those like myself who refuse to use the major chains. There is no number 15 but I do remember the shop expanding into a small space to the left of the door adjacent to Image in the last decade or so which was probably where the shop originally was and such I've included the listings for 15 along with 15b. The first busineeses appear in the late 1930s after number 14 was vacated by the former motor show rooms so I'm assuming this shop was once part of that. Number 15 was briefly a dry cleaners and tobacconists whilst 15b has either been a milliners or a cafe. OCCUPANTS 15 1936-1940: DRY CLEANERS (Speed Co.) 1947-1951: TOBACCONIST (Hall's) 15b 1937-1982: MILLINERS (Sidney Wheelden 1937-39, Marie et Cie 1940-82) 1983-2015: CAFE (Arcadia)

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