Shawa shuts its doors in the Westgate Social

Lebanese grill Shawa is the third restaurant to close its doors in the underground food hall.

It follows Indian-inspired food stall Rola Wala which left a year ago, and posh chippy Salt 'n' Sauce, which quit earlier this year.

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Westgate bosses previously admitted the Social 'had not been the success' that they hoped, and promised to review it.

Despite not announcing any new plans, student discounts have been pinned up in the windows and a pop-up Nutella booth has now opened up inside.

The Social, which boasts a mix of street food outlets, is downstairs in Oxford's newest shopping centre.

Managers at Shawa previously told the Oxford Mail that the social was 'hidden', 'not well advertised' and that 'a lot of people don't know it exists'.

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Other traders and customers also complained, saying a lack of signage and poor lighting in the food court was damaging business.

They first voiced concerns in July last year, when stall managers collectively said there was a lack of advertisement, poor lighting and high rents.

Weeks after that, the owners of the Westgate put more comfortable seating outside and asked Oxford City Council for the green light to put more signs up which would direct shoppers to the bottom floor.

In a survey on the Oxford Mail's website, 23 per cent of people said they had been to the Social once, but did not plan to return to the food court – which is underneath the Westgate's Queen Street entrance.

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When asked what the Westgate managers would do to ensure no more businesses left the social, a spokesman said that a plan was being put together.

He went on: “Westgate Social has not delivered the success for all of our street food partners that we had hoped it would.

“We’re committed to providing outstanding experiences for our guests and are currently reviewing plans for Westgate Social going forwards”.

As it is, there are now just four traders left in the Social – Ned's Noodle Bar, Tommi's Burger Joint, Benito's Hat and The Mac Factory macaroni cheese stall, which is the newest business to open up.

A manager who wished to remain anonymous at Benito's Hat said: "It is a difficult time for business, but there is a lot to look forward to."

He explained that the rent had not changed, but that they were making it work.

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He said: "We are living proof it is working we are still paying the same rents"

Chocolate spread giants Nutella have also recently opened up a stall in the Social – but it is thought to be temporary.

The new Nutella-pot shaped booth is just in front of where Rola Wala used to trade from, before it left last year and was boarded up.

Different flavoured macaroni cheese business 'The Mac Factory' has also moved in, but on a more permanent basis.