Building works force Leeds city centre café' to shut temporarily

The owner of a family-run coffee shop said he had been forced to close temporarily due to building work which had "decimated" trade.

Warren Jones, owner of Mrs Atha's in Leeds, said the demolition of a nearby building alongside rising costs had left his business on the brink.

Other businesses in the area also said they had been impacted by the work.

A spokesperson for developer Dukelease said it was taking urgent action to reduce disruption.

Mr Jones said he had lost extra outdoor seating and weekday trade had been "decimated" since work began at the former House of Fraser building opposite his cafe on Central Road.

The site is being demolished and redeveloped as student accommodation.

He said: "The last couple of weeks have been really difficult, because of the dust and noise from the building work no-one wants to sit out there.

"If this shop didn't mean so much to me personally, and I wasn't so emotionally invested in every single aspect of it, then I believe I would have already called it a day."

Reacting to a social media post announcing the temporary closure, one person wrote: "Really gutted to read this - a visit to you is a staple part of any trip into Leeds for me."

Another said: "Absolutely gutted, please set up a go fund me or similar so we can help you and the staff."

Mr Jones said the response from customers had been "amazing", adding: "It's a very emotional time but I can tell you almost certainly that we'll be back."

Other nearby businesses said they had also encountered problems as a result of the ongoing work.

Khalid Morton, store manager at Travelling Man, said it had hit trade, with customers not able to access the store at times.

Talking about the closure of Mrs Atha's, he added: "It is the heart of the street. The cafe has done so much for the community and it's such a massive shame to see them temporarily shut."

A spokesperson for developer Dukelease said it had worked to understand the concerns of nearby residents and businesses, including providing a community liaison officer.

"We're absolutely committed to engaging with our neighbours, but we recognise the impact that any construction works will have," they said.

"We will commit to redouble efforts to proactively work with those affected by our plans and apologise for the disruption caused in the early stages of our project."

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said it had contacted Mr Jones to offer its support and said other affected businesses could contact its City Centre Management team.

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