Sheffield city centre 'really buzzing again' as popular café makes FOUR times expected takings

Sheffield initially struggled more than other big cities to attract shoppers back to its city centre after non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen from June 15, footfall figures suggested.

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But things are looking up, according to the man in charge of Atkinsons on The Moor.

The firm’s managing director Nicholas Atkinson claimed ‘the old times were back’ after its café Massarella’s reopened on Saturday, taking four times the expected daily budget.

He told how the café’s return helped bring more customers to the store and Atkinsons wasn’t the only place experiencing an upturn in demand.

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"The Moor was really buzzing again. None of the queuing was taking long and there was some live entertainment, which all added to the feeling of normality,” he said.

“Atkinsons had another strong performance this week as well and customers are responding to the very special offers we have got across most departments and loving it.

"Retail therapy is back in strength and it all feels very normal now and I think we are all getting used to it.”

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The think tank Centre for Cities has warned shops and restaurants in larger city centres may struggle to survive if significant numbers of office workers continue to work from home.

But a Sheffield property expert has said office space will still be needed, even if more people do work from home, and chancellor Rishi Sunak this week announced a £30 billion package to kickstart the nation’s stuttering economy.