ONE of the founders of a business that recently closed its York city centre shop has revealed why the company made the decision. 

Max Poynton, co-founder of the doughnut company Project D, was part of the team that closed the store in Parliament Street, just six months after it opened.

The doughnut company began in 2018 with a mission to create the world’s ‘best doughnut’.

All doughnuts are made at the company's 11,000 sq ft bakery near Derby - which can produce 17 million doughnuts a year for stores nationwide.

Despite the success of the company, Max explained that York came with 'challenges'. He told The Press: "York seems to be a seasonal place, with fluctuating foot traffic and sales. While we've had fantastic weeks, we've also experienced periods of slow business, making it challenging to sustain operations consistently.

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"Our trade was significantly impacted by the major markets and events on the square. While these events bring in increased foot traffic, they also create direct competition and we have no control over this."

York Press: Project D, Parliament Street, closed its doors just six months after openingProject D, Parliament Street, closed its doors just six months after opening (Image: Harry Booth)

Max also said that the shop's location in Parliament Street was on the 'wrong' side of the road for optimal foot traffic and visibility.

He added: "Unfortunately, this closure did result in the loss of some jobs, and we deeply regret any impact this may have had on our employees.

"We have managed to successfully transfer one colleague from the York store to our event team."

Project D said it was exploring other opportunities for business in York, but it was not not currently planning to reopen a physical store in the city.