Chloes of York cafe in Colliergate closes after ten years

Chloes of York in Colliergate closed on Saturday (March 18) and the family behind the popular cafe next to Barnitts have put a notice in the window thanking their customers.

Named after the family's chocolate Labrador dog, called Chloe, the cafe opened a decade ago, but now, the family behind it Denise, Victoria, Laura and Alan have said it's time to call it a day and that they want to thank all their employees and loyal regulars.

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In a longer letter to customers, the family said: "There are many reasons that have contributed to the decision. The last few years, Brexit, Coronavirus and subsequent hospitality staffing issues and sadly the current cost of living crisis and energy price rises have now made it no longer viable for Chloes to continue operating in the way we have in the past. We cannot imagine charging £5 for a coffee or cup of tea to be a viable option for many of our customers who are also finding balancing their personal finances challenging."

They also said that Denise's ongoing health issues have made it hard for them to continue.

"Many of you will be aware that the 'boss' and the brains behind Chloes, Denise, is quite poorly and sadly is not able to contribute practically to the business which is very frustrating for her."

They went on to say that rule changes from City of York Council have not helped.

"Over the years York council with some challenging rules, regulations and decisions, business rates and of course the VAT man - who are no longer geared up to assist bricks and mortar cafe businesses - have not been quite so helpful and that means they will no longer be getting any money from us."

Chloes of York cafe in Colliergate has closed after trading for ten years (Image: Haydn Lewis)