Bettys managers are considering plans to close one of its York stores after failing to find a “workable option” to keep the 50-year-old store open.

The store, known as Little Bettys, in York’s Stonegate lost its upstairs cafe in March but now the company is looking into the future of the shop too.

When the Stonegate cafe closed earlier in the year 34 employees were affected.

If the shop were to close as well, nine members of staff would be at risk of losing their jobs.

In a statement, a Bettys spokeswoman admitted the store had been the “most operationally and commercially challenging of our branches”.

She added every effort had been made to re-deploy staff elsewhere in the company and a final decision was yet to be reached.

“Earlier this year we took the decision to permanently close the upstairs café, but kept the small downstairs shop open with a plan to look at different options and formats for the building.

“Sadly, to date, we’ve been unable to find a workable option, so we’ve made the team aware of a proposal to close the entire branch.”

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The spokeswoman said none of Bettys’ other tearooms in Harrogate, Harlow Carr, Ilkley, Northallerton and York were at risk of closure.

Earlier this year Bettys said it was facing its worst recruitment crisis in recent years forcing it to close its Harrogate store four hours earlier than usual.