Cheltenham restauarant Cattaro closes down

BUSINESSES on a street close to the town centre are struggling for customers.

Cattaro Ristorante, an Italian restaurant on Clarence Street, closed three weeks ago, just a year after it opened.

Dejan Raznatovit, who owned the restaurant, said it was tough for businesses in the area to flourish. He said: "It's all closing down around that area. Most of the shops are changing hands, and I invested so much money in that restaurant, but nothing happened. We're right behind The Promenade as well."

He also owns a delicatessen on Regent Street, which he added was doing quite well.

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But he said he was sad to see a notice had been placed on the door of Cattaro, explaining the lease had ended and any attempts to enter would result in civil or criminal proceedings. Another notice requested goods be removed.

Sam Sharaf, the owner of Mirage coffee shop, has been in Clarence Street for 12 years and agreed that times were tough.

He said: "Business has dropped around the area. We are too close to Cheltenham's High Street. We get regulars here, but not many new customers."

He is hoping the development to the area will help bring more passersby and pedestrians into the shop.

He added that his regular customers were the reason his business was succeeding.

"I do thank all our regulars who have supported us all these years," he said. "They are keeping us going, and they are very important to our business. I'm sure they are happy we are still here, just as we are that we can still serve them."

Chun Kong, who owns the Mayflower, a Chinese restaurant also on Clarence Street, said he was confident business would return.

He said: "We are still in a recession, but business is not too bad. We still have our customers, and we enjoy our work here."

His restaurant has been on the street for 30 years, and he said his regular customers were important to keeping him in business. "We grew up with our customers, and we have now gone on to the second generation. We have to ride this recession through, and business will come back," he said.

"I've been here for two recessions, and I am grateful I am still in business."