The future of a Douglas sandwich café is uncertain just seven months after it first opened its doors.

Dougie Butties, based at Argyle House on Church Road Marina, was launched in March by siblings Sam and Catherine Martin following an 18-month project to transform a former office unit into a fully functioning café.

The café has quickly become known for its simple menu of bagels, toast and crumpets in the morning, before switching to sandwiches and daily specials at lunchtime.

However, in a statement issued online, the Martin’s confirmed that changes were ahead and that the business was facing difficulties.

Posting to their customers on Thursday, October 2, Dougie Butties said: ‘We’re very sad to say that the future of DBs is uncertain.

‘We are currently figuring out how we move forward, and we’ll keep you up to date.

‘While in a transitional period, we are going to reduce our operating hours.

‘We’ll be open from 10am to 2pm on weekdays, and closed at the weekend. We’ll also be stopping doing breakfast once we’re out of stock.’

The message added: ‘We hope to keep turning out top butties to you lovely people. We’ll keep you in the loop.’

The café has attracted a loyal following since opening in the spring, with many customers praising its fresh Manx approach and homemade fillings.

The announcement has prompted messages of support on social media from regulars who say they hope the café will continue trading in some form.

While the exact reasons for the changes have not been made public, the Martins said they will continue to update customers as they review the future direction of the business.

For now, Dougie Butties remains open weekdays for lunchtime trade only.