Stepping into the University Cafe, at 87 Byres Road in the city’s West End, is like stepping back in time.
Little has changed since its establishment almost 100 years ago – and it remains a popular haunt for students and locals.
In a newspaper interview, owner Americo (Rico) Verrecchia said: “The cafe was opened by his grandfather, Pasquale Verrechia in 1918 and we’ve been on the same site ever since. ”
Like many Italians, Pasquale was interned on the Isle of Man during WW2.
Alfredo, Pasquale’s son, fought within the Royal Navy, but such efforts to release his father were yo no avail. Pasquale was eventually released, although not until the end of the war. The University Café defiantly soldiered on.
Rico has been working in the business here since childhood.
Being next to Glasgow University, we get a lot of business from students and we’re very well-known, especially for our ice-cream, which is all home-made. The closure of the Western Infirmary has impacted negatively on turnover and this combined with other factors may place the future of the University Cafe in jeopardy.
Reference: Ice-cream dynasties fighting for the Sunday sundae