Saturday’s movie was a summer blockbuster. The dinosaurs of Jurassic World Rebirth didn’t quite hit like they did in 1993, but the cinema was full of families who enjoyed them as much as I did.
A proper Barnes weekend: daft movie, blue skies, neighbours out and about, by the pond.
Then I noticed a dark Côte.
It was closed.
According to the note taped to the door, permanently.
I hadn’t expected that. But Côte, it turns out, hasn’t been in great shape for a while.
Founded in Wimbledon in 2007, Côte once had nearly 100 locations. Today it’s closer to 70.
Since being acquired by the private equity firm Partners Group in 2020, the business has struggled to return to pre-pandemic form.
Of its current branches, only 60 are thought to be profitable. Closures have been quietly unfolding across the UK in recent weeks. Barnes now joins that list.
Notes & thoughts
So what does this say about Barnes? Less than you might think.
Côte’s departure is more likely a chapter in a national story: a company reshaping itself ahead of a possible sale. The closure fits a pattern of broader corporate retrenchment.
And because, by most measures, Barnes retail is in good health.
At a recent Community Conversation, Councillor Julia Cambridge (East Sheen, Liberal Democrat) reported that Barnes’ retail vacancy rate stood at just 7.1% in March 2025, well below the London average of 10%.
Several things help explain this resilience. A loyal and largely well-off customer base. Compact, walkable parades that people want to visit. Limited space, which keeps demand high. And behind it all, steady support from the Barnes Community Association, where Emma Robinson, the town centre manager who has worked successfully to keep the pieces connected.
That makes Côte’s closure all the more striking. It’s a prime site in a prime location.
Still, if you’re after a coffee or bite to eat, OSO is next door and reliably excellent.