Man buys cafe while on stag do to surprise wife

Lia and Scot Griffiths said that they loved working with their team and meeting customers

A man purchased a cafe for his wife while he was sitting around a pool in Portugal on a stag do.

Scot Griffiths decided to buy the Penguin Cafe in Wednesfield last year to celebrate his wedding anniversary with Lia Griffiths, who had always dreamed of owning a cafe.

She said she was shocked by the purchase, as she only expected him to return home with a fridge magnet.

Now marking their first year in business, Mrs Griffiths said the experience "had been a whirlwind" and they loved meeting customers every day.

The couple from Bilston also manage to balance the cafe alongside running a window installation business and looking after their two children.

"It's tough managing both businesses but our daughters help us out too," she said.

Mr Griffiths said that since being in a critical condition due to Covid-19, his perspective on life had changed and he had become more impulsive.

He spent eight weeks in hospital, where he was put on a ventilator and ended up in a coma, after contracting the virus in 2021.

Scot Griffiths spent eight weeks in hospital after contracting Covid-19

Mr Griffiths said recovering from Covid-19 and learning to walk and talk again had made him euphoric to be alive.

"I'm one of the lucky ones, we treasure each day and it's given us a new sense of life," he added.

The couple said that despite struggling with rising energy and food costs at the cafe, they tried not to dwell on it and loved working with their "wonderful team".

A weekly friendship club held by Age UK runs at the cafe to provide company and conversations in the community.

The couple are also working to start up a special educational needs (SEN) group at the cafe to give people more support.

"Being a big part of the community, that's our biggest thing. We want the cafe to become a community hub," Mrs Griffiths said.