Glasgow restaurant 'unable to open' due to UCI Cycling World Championship road closures

Road closures in Glasgow for the UCI Cycling World Championships are leaving a family-owned restaurant unable to trade.

Bosses at Caprese Don Constanzo, near Charing Cross, say they will be closing the doors until Wednesday 16 August due to the building currently being '"inaccessible" to both staff and customers.

READ MORE: Which roads will be shut for the UCI Cycling World Championships?

The Italian restaurant, based in Woodside Crescent, is also currently unable to receive its daily fresh deliveries of fruit and vegetables, meats, wines and breads due to the restrictions.

'We cannot trade'

Manager, Ilia Mason, is telling Clyde News it is a real concern for them after their annual summer break.

She said: "The road closures have been devastating for us - we can't access our restaurant and we can't get deliveries.

"We have no way of bringing our supplies in because all of the roads in the Charring Cross and Park Circus area are blocked off.

"We had tried to get into the restaurant to drop off supplies, and it was blocked by barriers. We had to pay for parking near Maryhill Road and walk there with several large boxes - we ended up with a parking ticket because we didn't get back on time.

"We've had to contact all of our customers who've made bookings and tell them that we can't open due to these road closures.

"We've had to pay all of our staff the week's wages because it isn't their fault either."

'We've had to let so many people down'

Ilia added that this comes as another blow to an already strained industry.

She said: "It's already a struggle for businesses to survive at the moment because of the rising costs of energy, council tax and general supplies. Everything's gone up.

"We need this business to survive - we have wages to pay, and how are we meant to pay staff when we can't open our business?

"Glasgow City Council needs to compensate the businesses for these losses because we have absolutely no way of trading.

"We're so upset about this, we've had to let so many people down."

'Inevitable impact'

A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “Delivering an event of this scale inevitably means there will be an impact on how the city usually operates on certain days.

“Closures and restrictions across the city’s road networks are needed for operational purposes to build the road race courses and facilitate the safe delivery of the events for participants, spectators and businesses.

“As part of the Get Ready Glasgow campaign we have been engaging with city businesses since March on helping them plan and prepare for event time.

“To help facilitate deliveries there is an access and egress plan for the city centre that allows access for vehicles, and particularly businesses, to service their premises overnight during the period of the road closures.”

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