A year has passed since restaurants and pubs around the country fully reopened after all Covid-19 restrictions on hospitality were lifted.
Unfortunately, businesses in Ireland soon faced another major battle as the cost of living crisis hit hard during 2022. Over the past year dozens of popular restaurants in Dublin have been forced to close due to increased costs.
Here are the popular restaurants that have sadly closed in Dublin over the past year:
Read more: Popular restaurant in Swords announces sad closure over 'spiralling costs'
BSkewers BBQ & Bar
BSkewers BBQ & Bar had launched their Temple Bar outlet after closing their Bolton Street restaurant at the end of October. But sadly, the eatery has announced the closure of its new outlet in December.
Cali Kitchen, Dun Laoghaire
Popular Dun Laoghaire cafe Cali Kitchen shut its doors on November 27 after three and a half years in business. Announcing the closure on social media, the owners said they can "no longer juggle everything on their plate" and the time has come to "pass on the mantle to another great business".
Dorian, Donnybrook
Dorian in Donnybrook announced their closure on September 20. Restaurant bosses said: "It is with a heavy heart that we will be closing Dorian’s doors for the last time.
"Sadly, with the devastating rising costs, matched with the increasing struggles of running a restaurant in these times, we have had to make the difficult decision to close the restaurant for the foreseeable future."
Carpe Diem, Saggart
Carpe Diem restaurant was a popular spot for family meals but unfortunately closed down earlier this year. A local group said that Carpe Diem will be sorely missed in the community. They wrote: "Carpe Diem Restaurant Saggart has closed its doors. On behalf of all of your customers we'd like to say thank you for the beautiful meals. You will be missed."
Circa, Terenure
Circa on the Terenure Road in Dublin 6W was known for its warm atmosphere while also serving high quality affordable food.
In a statement posted on its social media pages, owner Ross Duffy said: "Due to the seemingly constant price increases facing us from all sides and staff shortages, the management has taken the difficult decision to close Circa. We have loved feeding you, wining you and, in general, having you with us since we opened.
Kitchen 101, Terenure
Kitchen 101 in Terenure closed its doors "with immediate effect" in June of this year.
Speaking on social media, owner Jaco Pretorius said: "It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to close the doors to Kitchen 101 with immediate effect. I want to thank all my customers and regulars for their incredible support over the past couple of years. Big thank you also to my staff, past and present."
Lenehans Bar and Grill, Rathmines
The owners of Lenehans Bar and Grill announced the immediate closure of their Rathmines restaurant last September, just three years into operation. The business, which is owned by Fallon and Byrne founders Paul Byrne and Fiona McHugh, was located on Rathgar Road and was a prime spot for brunch and cocktails.
The business confirmed the sad news with a sign on the door of the premises. The sign read: “Unfortunately Lenehans has had to close as of today. We are very grateful for everyone’s business so far and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
Lifeboat Beef and Reef, Skerries
Lifeboat Beef and Reef on Harbour Road revealed they were closing for good on Sunday, October 2.
Explaining the reasons for the decision to shut, they said: "We’ve had to make the difficult decision to close our doors at Lifeboat Beef and Reef, despite our best efforts. We stand with the many other small businesses across the country who have faced similar challenges with rising costs making it impossible to continue - so we have had to make the hard decision to shut up shop.
The Saucy Cow Eatyard
This vegan restaurant confirmed on social media they were closing their Eatyard location , which operates within the grounds of Drumcondra’s Bernard Shaw. The owners wrote: “Unfortunately due to the general going ons of the times we have had to make the difficult choice to close our Eatyard location.”
Table Wine, Dublin 8
Pleasants Street wine bar Table Wine shut in November after a year in business. In a post on social media, the owners described the decision as "very, very hard" to make.
Veginity
Plant-based restaurant Veginity confirmed it's closing its doors due to the current cost of living crisis. They informed customers that their last day of trading would take place on December 23.
The business previously operated from a food truck Portobello, before opening a premises on Dorset Street Upper. The owners thanked customers for their support throughout the years, but admitted that the current economic climate had made trading impossible.
Winedown, Montague St
Winedown, sister bar of Meltdown, closed for good on November 12. Owner Maeve O'Malley said "like so many businesses, Winedown is not financially viable in this climate".
Gotham South, Stillorgan
The owners of Stillorgan restaurant Gotham South issued a heartbreaking statement earlier this month saying they were closing their restaurant for the time being. "The pandemic dealt us a massive blow and our business has never truly recovered," they said.
They said: "The final blow has been the relentless price increases we have been hit with over the last year, not just in basic ingredients but also by way of simple staggering increases (up to 600% in some cases) in gas and electricity."
Shaker & Vine Wine Bar, Swords
Swords' Shaker & Vine Wine Bar, which is renowned for its fresh, delicious meals and creative beverages, confirmed that it had come to the heartbreaking decision to close its doors earlier this month. They said running the restaurant had become "unviable" due to the "spiralling costs of operating it, versus how many people we need to come in the door".
Do you miss a local restaurant or pub that has closed down? Has your community been hurt by the loss of a business? We want to hear from you. And what can be done to help businesses as the cost of living crisis continues to hit Ireland? Are business owners getting enough support from the Government? Tell us about the businesses your community has lost and what should be done in the comments below.
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