A HUSBAND-and-wife couple are hoping to help regenerate Upper Parkstone after opening their own independent coffee lounge.

Lou and Alison Wellman intend their business Boheme to show customers that they don’t have to go south to Ashley Cross to enjoy quality coffee.

The food and most of the cakes are made on site and the coffee beans are locally roasted by Bean Press in Winterborne Kingston.

The couple, who were previously in website design together, took over a shop near Waitrose on Ashley Road which was previously home to Rosina’s cafe.

Lou, 45, said: “I wanted to do something a bit different. Everyone underestimates Ashley Road and we know the people here are really good. They’re nice people and sometimes they want to go a little bit upmarket.

“It’s somewhere you can stay and hang out and have coffee.”

The business currently has five-star reviews on Tripadvisor and Facebook and has a five-star hygiene rating. “We’ve got a quite a few people who come in every day, sometimes twice,” said Alison, 44.

Lou said: “Our thinking was a lot of these people are going to do shopping at Waitrose and you don’t have to go to Ashley Cross for something a bit more upmarket – you can go to Ashley Road now.”

The pair worked together in website design before deciding to open a cafe.

“Really it was just a cause of wanting to do something a bit more fulfilling,” said Lou.

“IT is a very lonely business and I wanted to do something with my wife that was more public-facing and more social.

“It went from not knowing anything about the industry, other than a passion for food, and having to learn everything, do the plan, buy the equipment and learn all the rules and regulations and red tape.

“It’s was very hard work but we’re very pleased with the result and very happy.”

The pair have lived in Upper Parkstone but currently live in Southbourne, where they have seen the local high street transformed in recent times.

Lou said: “In Southbourne, when we moved there, there was very little there. It had Woolworths and bits and pieces and a lot of charity shops. Ludo Lounge started bringing people back again.”

Ali said: “It would be nice to see this road regenerated. It’s a really busy road and it’s a great community.”

Lou added: “We’ve been making friends with a lot of the local businesses and they’re all really nice people.”