Indie Of The Month: Fresco Delikafessen Café In Friary Street

Published on: 5 Oct, 2019
Updated on: 29 Sep, 2019

By Hugh Coakley

It hardly needs saying that the small independent café in Friary Street, Guildford, Fresco Delikafessen, is popular. It is always so busy that it speaks for itself.

Hot or cold weather, the seats outside are forever filled and the staff are buzzing in and out serving the people who are sitting and chatting at the tables.

“Customer service is amazing,” said one young man sitting with his friends outside.

It is always pleasantly busy at Fresco Delikafessen, the Greek café in Friary Street.

Demetrios Lazaridis, the enthusiastic and energetic owner, said proudly: “We are number one on Trip Advisor for Guildford cafés” It has also been awarded a bronze award in the Tourism South East Tearoom / café of the Year 2018.

Demetrios said: “To give this quality of food and service is very difficult but I love it. What we do here is unique. Everything is fresh; we don’t keep our pastries more than one and a half hours unlike other cafes.”

I can confirm that the pastries and the coffee are delicious.

Sweet or savoury, the pastries are delicious.

He came to Guildford about 10 years ago to study at the University of Surrey. After getting his bachelors and masters degrees in civil engineering, he was thinking about doing a PhD. But starting Fresco Delikafessen in 2015 changed all that and running the café has taken all his time and energy since then to make it a success.

He said: “I am often working ’till the early hours on paperwork or whatever. It is a big sacrifice to run an independent café like this but I wouldn’t change.”

It is all go behind the counter at Fresco Delikafessen. The owner, Demetrios Lazaridis is in the foreground making his excellent coffee.

Demetrios sees the venture as a Greek bakery and coffee shop with everything cooked on the premises. Importing the speciality ingredients like the feta cheese from Greece keeps it “special” he says.

He is also planning to be offering more vegan and gluten-free food soon and selling its own coffee beans. He has his work cut out and he needs the five staff who are working for him, two of them are full time.

The café opens every day from 10am to 6:30pm, except on Sundays when it is 11am to 6pm, and closed on Tuesday.

He knows what he does is well received by the public and he would like to take it further, possibly as a franchise once he gets the concept fully worked out.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he succeeds and for there to be a Fresco on every street corner in the future. Watch this space!