A much-loved corner café in York has closed its doors after five years of trading.
Stam & Maria, the Greek café located on Parliament Street, revealed that their time serving the city centre has sadly come to an end.
They shared the news to their Facebook page on 29 December, and closed down on 31 December.
The post read: “After an incredible five years of serving our amazing customers , it is with mixed emotions that we announce the closing of our café.
“It has been a truly special journey filled with laughter, friendship, and unforgettable moments shared over coffee, pastries, and great conversations.”
The news was greeted with sadness from their many regulars. “We are so sad to see you leave as we love your coffee and your excellent happy efficient, lovely, pleasant staff! We’ll miss you all,” said one.
Another wrote: “The best coffee in York, lovely staff, and as others have said, a lifeline during Covid. I’m so sad I won’t be able to have one last coffee and bougatsa.”
The good news is, the site won’t be empty for long. It’s set to be taken over by Bar Hashery, a café specialising in savoury waffles currently operating on Bootham.
We’ve asked Stam & Maria if they’re relocation or closing completely, and will update when we hear back.
Lockdown hit
Owners Stamatios Koulouris, better known as Stam, and his partner Maria Dendia moved to York from Corfu in 2017.
Their initial venture, Ambrosia Greek Street Food, proved incredibly popular with their authentic Greek gyros in the Shambles Market.
Stam & Maria café followed in September 2019, serving hot drinks and snacks.
While some businesses were devastated by Covid, lockdown was, unexpectedly, the making of the café.
Stam & Maria converted into a takeaway service and supplied coffees and snacks to socially distanced queues for the duration of the pandemic.
Their overwhelming success enabled them to open a third business in October 2021.
Wine Stories was born, a Greek restaurant located just eight doors down from their coffee shop on Parliament Street.
Although Stam & Maria has closed, both Wine Stories and Ambrosia Greek Street Food will trade as normal.