Mark Toney, Newcastle's ice cream parlour, has closed for good
The family name dates to 1892 in Grainger Market, and both city centre cafes are shut.
Mark Toney has closed after 134 years in Newcastle, ChronicleLive reports. Both city centre cafes, on Grainger Street and Percy Street, had been shut for weeks. Staff at Percy Street have now confirmed the end in a statement on social media.
The story: it began in 1892, when Antonio Marcantonio brought Italian ice cream to Grainger Market from a small mountain village near Rome. The first cafe on Percy Street opened in the 1930s. It moved to its current spot in the 1970s.
The final weeks: the shutters stayed down on Grainger Street. A notice at Percy Street blamed an electrical fault. Many regulars feared the worst before the confirmation came.
The goodbye: the Percy Street team wrote: 'It's the people we've met along the way who have made our time here so memorable.' They thanked customers for the coffees, family meals and catch-ups over the years.
What's next: nothing has been announced. ChronicleLive has asked Mark Toney for comment and had no response at the time of writing.
A name many Newcastle regulars have known for years has gone.
Source: ChronicleLive (opens in a new tab)
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