Coffee shop boss laments end of an era

The Acropolis has been trading in the city since the 1960s but has suffered in the recession and the effect of the stalled Westfield shopping centre.

George Demetriou, 76, once operated 20 cafes across the north but now there is just one left, in York. He still runs a string of successful hotels.

On the closure of the Acropolis, he said: “I am very sad to be honest. I have been here for many years. At lunchtime there might be 25 people in and we have got 100 seats, which used to be full.”

His “traditional” coffee shops suffered in competition with “trendy” competitors, he said.