Mrs Roy said she gave permission for Glasgow-based Dawn Construction to erect scaffolding outside her shop, as she was informed the work would be completed by the end of March, the beginning of warmer weather and the high season for the business she says she has invested £150,000 in.

However, the scaffolding remains in place over two months later, with no clear deadline set for its removal.

Mrs Roy says Esquires is £300 a day down on comparative figures for last year, and she can only afford to subsidise it for a few more months under the present circumstances.

“Now I’ve been told it’s sometime this year when the scaffolding is taken down.

“But in the meantime, no one wants to come and sit outside having a coffee on a building site,” she said.

“It’s not right that a huge construction company can do this at the expense of small independent businesses, and I need to know what’s happening.

“I’ve had to throw my business plan out the window because of what’s happened, and I’m opening the shop every day without making any money.

“I have nine employees who all stand to lose their jobs, and Dawn have made no effort to help me in any way.”

A spokesman for Dawn said the firm has done everything possible to make sure the coffee shop is as visible as possible while the work is carried out.

“Unfortunately the building is in a far worse state than we thought, and work has taken longer.

“We had hoped to have the scaffolding down by the end of April or early May, but that has not been possible,” he said.

“It is in the interests of everyone that we fix the building properly, and the roof has needed to be totally overhauled, but we have at the same time taken all reasonable steps to make sure the coffee shop is visible.

“Once this work is completed it will greatly enhance shopping facilities in the centre of Dundee.”