A LITHUANIAN couple who worked hard at making a Sinfin pub their dream are leaving as tenants because of a lack of customers.
Sandra Matuleviciene and husband Karolis have blamed high business rates as one reason they have had to leave the County Hotel.
The couple, who moved to Derby in 2008, said running the pub had been a "nightmare struggle" but had high hopes of it being a success when they took over last year.
They repaired windows, transformed the overgrown garden and scrubbed every inch of the pub – but they say the few customers that do come to the pub don't arrive until 4pm, despite it being open all day.
Sandra said: "We've handed in our notice because it has not gone well. It was our big dream. We said it was a dream of a lifetime to have a pub, but it's been the complete opposite.
"We really wanted this to work and, when we got our licence, we were very excited. But I think it's really hard to have a pub in this area. We work all year but don't get any wages.
"We've had to close the lounge to save on heating bills. We've been open all day but only get a few local customers.
"After we said we wanted to leave, Enterprise [Inns] put a board up outside advertising for people to come. Since then, custom has gone down 50%."
Sandra says she thinks the pub company, Enterprise Inns, has let them down. But a spokesman for the firm said it had worked with them to make the pub a success.
Sandra and Karolis live upstairs with their children, four-year-old Gustis and two-year-old Samanta.
Sandra juggles being a busy mum and helping her husband run the pub. She also runs her own employment consultancy.
Karolis was the first to arrive from Lithuania. He left Kaunas, the old capital, in 2005, to find work. He lived in London and obtained a job with a demolition company. A year later, Sandra came to England.
The couple married in 2007 and lived in Alvaston before moving to The County.
Sandra said: "We've found another pub to run in the Derbyshire Dales, which we're excited about.
"It's been a terrible time, but we're still young and this is not our fault. We have two children and have a lot of life to live."
Enterprise Inns said it had been in talks with the couple about moving out in January.
A spokesman said: "They've been fully supported with promotions to drive up sales. We're extremely disappointed they gave their notice in. We have different options to keep this popular pub open."
