Bettys Café on Stonegate is to close, the company announced today (Wednesday).
But the shop will stay open.
Managing director of Bettys Simon Eyles said the decision had been taken “with a heavy heart”. But he said none of the other branches were affected.
“We’ve been welcoming customers to a café on Stonegate for over 50 years,” he said.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the loyalty and kindness of York’s residents and visitors over that time, and for the talent, commitment and dedication of our colleagues at the branch.
“We haven’t taken this decision lightly, but we know it’s the right choice for the long term.”
Stonegate is the smallest Bettys café, housed in an historic building. “This character and layout, much loved by customers, has become an increasingly challenging environment to work in,” Mr Eyles said.
“The back-of-house kitchen area is very small and the behind-the-scenes space for our people is very different to the working conditions we offer elsewhere. It’s also the least commercially viable of our six branches.
“Over the last few years, we’ve tried several different ways to make it work better for our people, our customers and our business. Sadly, we haven’t been able to find a formula that fits.”
He praised the Bettys Stonegate team for their “great professionalism and resilience”.
The company is “working together to look for opportunities for our colleagues in other roles within our family business”.
He concluded: “Our thanks also go to our customers. Many have visited the Stonegate café regularly for years, sometimes decades, and we know that lots of memories are bound up in ‘Little Bettys’.
“We hope to help you create new Bettys memories in the years to come.”