Independent businesses are doing all they can to survive on their Leicester street despite multiple pubs in the area closing down.
Belvoir Street, in the city centre, recently saw the closure of Walkabout, which was formerly known as Yates until 2017 and served sports fans for many years in the area.
The closure of Walkabout came a few weeks after The Distillery, in nearby Market Place, closed for good, making it the second night-time venue to have closed their doors in the space of a month.
Despite the recent closures, independent businesses in Belvoir Street are proving their resilience by continuing to bring customers to the vacant side of the city centre.
One of these businesses, is Viva El Burrito, an independent family-owned restaurant which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The owners, Daksha and Raj Saujani, said they remember worse times in Belvoir Street when much of the area was boarded up.
Daksha Saujani, 65, said: “We are very proud to be part of Belvoir Street because when we first came here 10 years ago, most of the properties on the street were boarded up.
“Nobody had a reason to come down this road, but now footfall has increased and the whole area has been brought up.
“We took a risk to open our store here but we believed that this is an underrated side of the city centre and it has paid off as we are still here.
“The footfall has increased in recent years, at least it has for us. The street in general could do with some work as there is always rubbish on the floor and it could do with some better upkeep but for me, this road has steadily improved.”
Asked about why their store has survived while others nearby have closed down, Mrs Saujani said it has to be their customer service.
She said: “It has to be our customer service. We don’t treat people who walk through the door as customers, we treat them as our family members. We have great conversations and we give them 100 per cent.
“We have old student customers who move back to their home and they still visit us and even tell their friends about us. That is how we have survived.”
According to the street’s power couple, the opening of other “amazing” independent businesses in Belvoir Street, during their time there, has helped keep footfall steady in the area.
Mrs Saujani said the opening of Pizza Sofia just a couple of doors up from their store, saying she is glad businesses are still choosing Belvoir Street.
She said: “We now have Pizza Sofia which has opened next door and they are amazing, so we are like the diamonds in the dirt of Belvoir Street.
“Yes, Covid was a tough time but people still had money to spend and they were ordering food from home.
“Now, there are less students, people are working from home and there is less disposable income being spent in the city centre, so for me, now is the toughest time we have ever been through which is why it is important we support each other in Belvoir Street.”
Owner of Pizza Sofia, Yassine El Guendouz, called Belvoir Street “underrated”, as he praised his neighbouring businesses.
He said: “I am really proud to be part of Belvoir Street. I used to be the head chef of San Carlo just around the corner and I am glad to be running my own business now in Belvoir Street.
“Belvoir Street is truly underrated and same goes for the rest of this part of the city centre.
“I love what Viva El Burrito is doing, I love that we have Saints of Mocha here as well. Even the tattoo shop and the barbers are the best too.
“We have everything we need in Belvoir Street, I just think people need to realise we are here and ready for them.”
Despite feeling proud of his location, the 28-year-old said the recent closures in the area add a certain level of worry regarding who could be next to close up shop.
He added: “It is disappointing and worrying when you see places close like Walkabout because you don’t know who is next.
“Despite that we stay positive about the business and we stay on the mission of bringing life back to this road. We believe in Belvoir Street!”
