Coventry’s famous circular café in the Lower Precinct has served its last burger and its last cup of coffee.

The building, a café since it was built as part of the city’s post war regeneration, now stands empty and fenced off against vandals while its future is debated.

The next time it opens its doors it is expected to be as an tourist information centre in 2001.

"It is a great shame, but I do not think it will ever be used as a restaurant again."

Mr Butt was ordered to close by the City Council, causing seven redundancies, when vandals smashed three of the rare curved 13ft windows. The Council has told the owner that he could not use the seats next to the smashed windows.

The Council has also fenced off the area immediately below the café because of the danger to the public from falling glass.

Mr Butt discovered he had no insurance cover for the glass and says that the council, as owners of the building, should replace the window.

"The council is a big organisation, I am just a man trying to earn a living,"

He said he had been unable to obtain any insurance cover for the unusual building and he cannot afford the £9,000 bill to replace the windows. He will probably therefore relinquish the lease when it finishes at the end of March.

The Council has refused his request to replace the glass and the way is clear for Coventry and Warwickshire Promotions – a company set up by the City Council to promote Coventry – to press ahead with its plan for an information bureau, a ticket centre and an accommodation agency.

They have commissioned architect’s drawings – described as looking like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise – and hope to hear in two months whether they have succeeded in obtaining Euro money.

The scheme would cost £250,000 and about £100,000 is already in place. John Heeley, chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Promotions said:

"We believe we have a very strong case. The project cannot go ahead without the money from the European Regional Development Fund but I would be very, very surprised if we were not successful."