Mannetti’s in Lendal, York is attacking ongoing work in the city centre
Marie Milburn, a director at Mannetti’s in Lendal, said customers were discouraged from walking down the street because of the work, which had a huge financial impact on the store.
In one day, she said, the cafe cost less than £5.
The work has resulted in the side of the sidewalk where the cafe sits being closed to pedestrians, preventing the cafe from offering outdoor seating to customers – something it relies heavily on for profits achieve.
As reported by The Press, Marie expressed concerns before work began.
She feared the works, which closed Lendal for six weeks, would have a significant impact on business.
The director also criticized the council for not informing shopkeepers on the street about the closure.
Now, Marie said the problem has gotten “ten times worse” since work began.
“In one day our trade cost less than £5,” she said.
The director also said she had been told by the contractors that the road would be closed for another two weeks, which would only add to the pressure on the cafe.
“We may go under,” she said.
The cafe, run by Marie’s daughter Kate Milburn, has decided to close from today (May 22nd) and is set to reopen on Saturday June 3rd.
Marie said the decision was made because of the financial setback the company suffered due to the lack of traffic at Lendal during the works.
She explained that the road was closed on three public holidays and during school vacations.
“This is gold dust for us,” she said.
Continue reading:
Marie previously told the press that Mannetti’s opened in 2019 and has just started turning a profit after weathering the pandemic and rising energy costs
Despite the director’s attempts, Marie said there had still been no contact from York City Council.
“This (work) shouldn’t have been allowed at this time of year,” she said.
“It just does not work.”
She has urged the council to take action and help businesses struggling due to work to install the bollards, which has also resulted in the closure of High Petergate.
The bollards were first announced earlier this year by the Liberal Democrat-Green coalition that leads York City Council to combat the threat of “vehicle-as-weapons” attacks.
In May, the Liberal Democrat-Green coalition was voted out and replaced by the Labor Party.
David Skaith, director of the York High Street Forum, said he visited Mannetti’s this morning (May 22) to discuss how the work is affecting business.
“I think the fact that a company has decided to close for a period of time gives an indication of how bad trading has been as a result of that work. It’s a big decision to make, but it’s totally understandable,” he said.
Read more from David here.
York City Council has been contacted by The Press for comment, which will be published when received.
https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/23538452.mannettis-lendal-york-hits-ongoing-work-city-centre/?ref=rss Mannetti’s in Lendal, York is attacking ongoing work in the city centre
