Hitchin café Nibbles has closed down, but an "exciting new venture" is set to take over the unit.

Nibbles moved into 2 The Arcade in June last year, following the closure of the long-established and much-loved Rose Buds Café and Tearoom.

Less than a year on, the eye-catching blue façade of the new café has changed to black, and the door is closed, but work does appear to be taking place inside.

The Comet: Work being done at 2 The Arcade.Work being done at 2 The Arcade. (Image: Supplied)

The owner confirmed to the Comet that Nibbles had "closed down", but that an "exciting new venture" would be taking over The Arcade unit after interest from investors.

"We have had an investment opportunity, given the location and popularity of the site. More is set to be revealed in the coming weeks," he said.

Many will be sad to see the café go, having earned rave reviews during its short time open, getting a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google, and a five-star review from this newspaper back when it opened.