NOT many people can say they own the venue they had their first date in, nevertheless the space where they got engaged at.

But that it is the case for loved up couple Jen and Chris Spindley who are the new owners of Sheldon's in Colwyn Bay.

Jen, 44, Chris, 40, and Jen's 18-year-old daughter Ceinwen Eluned Lloyd, are turning the former wine bar and bistro into a child friendly cafe during the day [Monday to Thursday] and a bar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

The family, who live in Old Colwyn, have renamed the business Sheldon's Cafe Bar. It is set to reopen to customers on September 11.  

Jen, who has a background in hospitality but was most recently a teacher before becoming a self-employed virtual assistant, said: "We were looking for a premises for our fudge business. We started it as a sideline to supplement our income and it quickly grew into a full time job. Sheldon's came up for sale so we looked into it, what it would involve and decided to go for it with the support of my family."

Talking about her first date with Chris and getting engaged, Jen said: "Chris and I met on a dating site. I didn't feel like I wanted a relationship as I'd just come out of an unhappy marriage but there was something about Chris so on the spur of the moment, I decided to meet him for coffee. 

"Sheldon's was the only place open in Colwyn Bay that Sunday afternoon, so we ended up there on the sofa. Conversation was easy between us and we ended up cuddled up on the sofa, feeling totally at ease with each other.

"We later realised that we had fallen in love on that sofa and we have been together ever since.

"Just over eight months later, Chris dragged me through the door of Sheldon's and after some nervous chatter, he produced a ring from his pocket and asked him to marry me!"

Chris, who used to work in care, and Ceinwen, who has just finished a Catering and Hospitality course at Llandrillo college, is a qualified chef.

The family are hoping to create a space where children can keep entertained.

Jen said: "We have two small children and really struggle to go out for a bite to eat, or even a coffee with them as they get bored easily in regular cafes. We want to create a space where there are toys available to play with and space to park the prams without parents feeling like they are in the way or their children are causing a nuisance. We have also added an option on the menu to create a snacking plate for children where parents can choose as many or as few items that they know their children will eat without being bound to the hot meal options you usually find on kids menus.

"Eventually, the fudge business will hopefully move into the upstairs area but we need to raise some capital to fit it out properly first."

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Sheldon's unexpectedly closed its doors in 2022 - just three years after opening. The building has been empty for more than 10 months.

Jen added: "It has taken a lot of cleaning and clearing out, and some equipment has had to be replaced, but on the whole the place is in relatively good shape.

"We are really looking forward to welcoming people into our favourite place. We can see on social media that there are a lot of people who have missed it and we hope that the daytime child friendly coffee shop will be a welcome addition to Colwyn Bay's town centre."