Rudy's Chapel Allerton row: Leeds residents weigh in on Greek restaurant shutters debate

Kostas Tsiknakis, owner of the Mad Greek on Stainbeck Lane, has complained to Leeds City Council to say that the new tenants of the building next door, Rudy’s, have erected rolling shutters around their pizza restaurant without acquiring the correct planning permission.

Mr Tsiknakis has argued that the shutters are preventing people from seeing his restaurant in the evenings, which has led to a decrease in business.

Mr Tsiknakis said: "It used to be all open with windows. It looked really nice and you could see it from the square.

"The pubs would close at night and the people would come out and see me open and then come here.

"Now they can’t see me and my business has gone down."

The council has confirmed that it has looked into a potential breach of the planning controls and stated in a separate letter that the owners of the building occupied by Rudy’s have been told that “planning permission has not been granted for the changes”.

It adds that the shutters are “considered to be out of character” to the rest of the location, which is a conservation area with certain controls.

Readers of the YEP have commented on both sides of the debate, with some saying that the shutters are an “absolute joke” and others saying that they are necessary to protect Rudy’s from break-ins.

Milan Barritt said: “I've never really liked the fact that local businesses are able to extend like this onto the pavement. It's one thing having a few chairs and tables outside of the restaurant but places like Rudy's are taking up what used to be public access and pathway and making it smaller as they move closer to the road.

“The Mad Greek has every right to be concerned. If you watch the video clip in the article then you can clearly see that you cannot see his Greek takeaway from a side view at all.

“Absolute joke. I am in full support of Mad Greek.”

Diane Frankland said: “The adjacent area has had lots of money spent to create a nice space, the shutters are certainly not a good look.”

Debbie Morman said: “He is correct. I was in Chapel Allerton last weekend and thought he had closed down as I could not see the bar. Only when walked past it to The Mustard Pot I saw him.”

Teresa Cook said that there are “fantastic kebabs” at the Mad Greek, adding: “It must be saved!”

Lucy Harris was one to defend Rudy’s, saying that the shutters are a necessary way of protecting their business.

She said: “What is wrong with that? I have a shop in Oakwood with shutters and a lot of shops without them got broken into a few years ago.

"Thank God for my shutters.”

David Smith-Bratley said that Rudy’s should “be allowed to protect (their) premises any way they can.”