It is a week since non-essential shops reopened and pubs, restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating could serve their cherished customers once more.

Queues as long as 100 people stretched along High Street showed shoppers were eager to browse the rails.

But what has trade been like for the town's smaller independents?

Reporter Gabriella Iskra spoke to business owners to get their point of view.

The LP Café opened in The Parade, Watford, in 2013 and is run by father-of-one Paul Terris, 37, who founded the business with his partner Leila Simpson after being inspired by a record shop they had visited in Naples.

Paul grew up in Watford and was a part of its music scene, playing in bands and doing gigs in the town's music venues. 

He admitted that he never thought that a record shop like this would work in Watford but he was proved wrong.

Watford Observer: Paul Terris inside The LP CafePaul Terris inside The LP Cafe

But he feared it was the end when all businesses shut in March 2020.

Looking back, he said: “The day that everything closed I was convinced that was it.

“I said to myself ‘I think I need to relax and think about it tomorrow’... it was out of my control.

“When you run a business there will always be challenges and hurdles and at least if it closed down during the pandemic I would not think it wasn’t my fault.”

Having being open for a week, Paul said: “It’s amazing to see people again – it’s too early to make predictions though.

Watford Observer: Outdoor seating in The LP CafeOutdoor seating in The LP Cafe

“Our record sales went up during lockdown with online orders and now the balance between café and record shop has shifted.”

In Queen's Road, D20 Board Game Café was opened in 2016 by three friends - Page Costas, Mario Karaiskos and Michelle Chin.

Page, 35, lives in Carpenders Park and said that all three of them loved video games initially but then got into board games.

Page explained: “It’s been really difficult because we thrive on community events so we have had to adapt, board games are for sale on our website now.

“We were never a shop, we are a leisure centre and a community venue.

“At the beginning of 2020 everything looked great and we were hoping to open a second location.

“We are only open two days a week now and luckily haven’t got in to too much debt.”

Watford Observer: Owner Jon CaoOwner Jon Cao

Ocean Bells in High Street was opened in 2013 and is now owned by husband and father-of-one, Jon Cao, 50, who lives in Carpenders Park.

He said: “We have always done very well but lockdown has been difficult.”

“We have developed new menus and it feels great to have people back, 90 per cent of our customers are regulars."

Watford Observer: Inside Ocean BellsInside Ocean Bells

Jon said that because the café is on the quieter end of High Street he is keen to open another one at the other end as well.

Barracuda is a family-run business which was founded in 2007 by Franco Alija, 51, with his wife and three children.

Originally from Kosovo and now living in London, Franco said: “I feel really positive about the future, Watford Borough Council looks after us very well and they care about all independent businesses.

Like Ocean Bells, 90 per cent of Barracuda’s customers are regulars and Franco and his family recently opened Fratelli, an Italian restaurant, a few doors away.

Watford Observer: Owner Franco Alija with daughter VleraOwner Franco Alija with daughter Vlera