Cafe Aina in Stirling’s city centre has been put up for sale.
The owners of the family-run King Street restaurant and takeaway say they have struggled to find staff.
Angelos Pardalis is the face of the eatery, which he has operated for the last seven years along with his parents in the heart of Stirling
“The reason is we are tired,” Angelos told The Courier.
“My parents are over 60 and me, I cannot continue by myself.
“It’s a family business in a small town of 50,000 people and, unfortunately, that doesn’t provide you with the opportunity to find full-time workers.”
Regular customers order ‘the usual’
The restaurant, which serves a range of Greek and Mediterranean dishes, has built up a loyal customer base over the years.
Some customers don’t even need a menu, according to Angelos, as he knows what they want when they come in the door.
He says he simply goes over to greet them and have a chat, then tells the kitchen to make ‘the usual’.
“Everybody’s telling me that they are sad because we did create a small community,” the business owner said.
“We have our local people that support us and come weekly.
“Now they’re coming more often because they don’t know when we’re going to go away.”
Brexit means fewer workers
Angelos says Brexit has impacted Cafe Aina, as there are now fewer people moving to the UK who want to work in the service industry.
To combat this, he says he tried offering a commission-based system to supplement staff pay, giving them a cut of the restaurant’s profits.
This was intended to entice employees, who were often students, to stay in Stirling during summer and continue working.
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