A Nottingham bar has blamed declining footfall around the intu Broadmarsh Centre area for its closure.
Italian wine cafe Veeno said the business had become no longer viable in recent months. It opened less than four years ago, in Middle Pavement, opposite the shopping centre entrance which been boarded up during the revamp.
The signage has gone and the interior, apart from the counter, has been stripped.
The closure follows the loss of nearby Italian restaurants Carluccio's and Jamie's Italian and hidden cafe Thea Caffea, as well as French restaurant Le Mistral, in Eldon Chambers, off Wheeler Gate.
Eight shops at the top end of Bridlesmith Gate, including Pretty Green, Dune, Jones, Hobbs and the Tokenhouse, have either moved or shut, adding to the problem.
A spokesperson for the chain said it was "with regret" that the laid-back bar with Italian wines, cured meats and cheese, had been forced to close, citing "circumstances beyond our control".
They told Nottinghamshire Live: "The Middle Pavement area has undergone drastic changes in the recent months with the Broadmarsh Centre going under significant renovations which has considerably hindered footfall with retailers having to close down.
"It is regrettable that we couldn’t come to an agreement with the landlord but we have to follow the same path as the shops around us, as this was not sustainable anymore
"We, of course, will endeavour to relocate any staff that wish to stay within the business if they wish to move to another location and want to thank all our customers that have been loyal to Veeno and loved our concept since the first day."
On a more optimistic note, they finished by saying: "We hope to be back in Nottingham soon."
The aperitivo-style cafe was founded by Italian friends Nino Carusoa and Andrea Zecchino, and sold wine from Nino's family vineyard in Sicily.
The business grew to 12 company-owned bars and five that were run as franchises. Some of the cafes closed earlier this year after a review of sites.
Amongst those saddened by the closure was Debbie Timmins who commented on Facebook: "How is that even possible! It’s such a lovely place and always seemed busy too, how sad."
Steve Mottershead posted: "Such a shame, I really liked the food and wine," while Shasta Jay said: "Such a shame deffo my fav place!"
Nigel Wheatley, Centre Director for intu Broadmarsh, said: "Our own work to regenerate intu Broadmarsh is well underway and forms part of the exciting transformation of Nottingham Southside.
"We’re clearly very sorry to hear about this particular decision to close."
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