Customers of an award-winning Italian delicatessen and cafe in St Albans are sizzling with rage over a plan which could jeopardise its future.

Owner Alan Oakley has submitted an application to St Albans District Council to change the use from shops to residential at 68 Lattimore Road, the home of popular Italian deli Buongiorno Italia.

Mr Oakley has also applied for a two storey extension and rear basement extension, which if approved mean the forced downsizing of the deli and coffee bar.

Owner Tony Picciuto told the Review if the application was approved would be a massive setback, following the extension four years ago.

He said: "The application for a change of use from retail to residential is for the original part of Buongiorno Italia.

"I have been tenant of the shop at the address for nearly 25 years, and with kind support from loyal customers have run a very successful delicatessen business in that time.

"It is a unique business in St Albans which has carried on a family tradition for over 35 years and has served the local community and beyond and I believe we are an asset to the city.

"I was also born, raised and educated in St Albans and have worked and lived here all my life and have kept the business going with support, hard work, long hours and commitment."

Buongiorno Italia started as Franco Stores in 1978, three doors away from its current home. The restaurant, which employs three members of staff, has won a number of local food awards plus the St Albans Civic Society award for best building project in 2011, following the expansion and complete refit of the cafe.

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In 2012 it won the food and drink category in the Review’s Retailer of the Year awards.

Mr Picciuto, who took over the business in 1991, added: "The property was owned by my previous landlady who lived behind and above my shop and we enjoyed a mutually beneficial landlady and tenant relationship where agreements were made verbally and with respect to each other.

"Unfortunately last year she passed away.

"I have asked the new landlord for a new lease at current market rates and have also offered to purchase the property at current market value, both he has refused.

"It will be a great loss of an important part of our business, it will mean a loss of very useful retail floor space, an office, and storeroom, patio space at the front, which will incur loss of trade, loss of jobs, loss of presence in the street and our unique selling point of being able to offer a wide range of fine food to our clients.

"If this was to happen there would be a good chance of losing the whole of the business and the potential closure of Buongiorno Italia.

"We are a unique, independent, local, thriving specialist fine food business offering something unique, different and in demand to the local area. All we will have left soon in St Albans is the market, and coffee and charity shops.

"This is a second generation business and I am desperate to keep it going. We are in the perfect location, and wouldn't survive in the city centre.

"The community spirit here makes me feel very lucky. If the application is pased it would knock the wind out of my sails.

"This is already a heavily dense residential area."

Mr Picciuto said if they had to downsize they would not be able to sell the wide variety of goods, which make the business unique.

Customers have rallied in support to oppose the application and have discussed starting a petition to prevent the delicatessen's closure.

Nadine Gibbon said: "This is a total disgrace. We have to stand up for our independent retailers in our city.

"I shall be letting my feelings known and I am happy to help and support your cause."

Thomas Hynes added: "For such a brilliant community focused individual business this should not be allowed to happen.

"Anyone who knows Lattimore Road or who has been to the shop will know what a travesty it would be to let this go ahead."

Craig Hunter said all of the new housing developments in the city need services to survive.

He said: "It seems tragic a successful business so valuable to the community that has developed and grown over the recent past can be downsized for more housing.

"We're seeing office blocks being converted to flats, the London Road development.

"All these new homes need local services to survive. This great, award winning business is a gem here in St Albans and let's hope it can continue to serve and prosper."

Nick Caesari added: "I am sorry to hear this and why do some many people get in the way of small businesses developing and growing?

"Your family have been such a strong part of SA life for so long and someone in the council needs to recognise that."

The plans are currently under consultation and objections should be lodged before Wednesday, February 11.