‘I don’t blame customers for getting annoyed’: a coffee house owner on life without EU workers

Anas Zein Al-Abdeen owns a chain of four Middle Eastern coffee houses around Birmingham. But, the 40-year-old says, while customers are plentiful, staff are another matter

Anas Zein Al-Abdeen doesn't want to close his business for three days a week - but, increasingly, it looks like his only option. He simply can't get the staff. It's horrific," he says. We can't plan for anything."

The 40-year-old British-Syrian businessman runs Damascena, an independent chain of four Middle Eastern coffee houses in and around Birmingham. All of his cafes are affected, but the one in central Birmingham is the most short-staffed, with 25 workers instead of the usual 30. It's very stressful," he says. Most businesses worry about getting customers. But I'm just worried if we can serve them or not."