A popular East Lothian restaurant has announced it's set to reopen after it was forced to close suddenly earlier in the year due to 'sinking building fears'.
Giancarlo's, an Italian restaurant and bar in the heart of Tranent, has become a favourite of residents within the town and further afield, although they were forced shut back in April after a safety inspection raised concerns about the building sinking further into the pavement outside.
Owners made the disappointing statement before the summer and said it would be closed for the "foreseeable future," with diners who had pre-booked a reservation being contacted for cancelations. In a statement they said: "It is with deep regret, that Giancarlo's Italian shall be closed for the foreseeable future.
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"As our customers are already aware, we have been having lots of problems with the building itself. The problems unfortunately continue. We are now suffering from subsidence and the building is unsafe in parts.
Subsidence is caused by uneven ground beneath a building sinking due to a lack of moisture in the area, either caused by natural or human activity.
However, posting another update on Sunday, September 4, the owners couldn't hold back the excitement of the restaurant reopening on Wednesday, September 7, saying that staff and tradesmen have been working "around the clock."
They said: "We thought we would give you all an update. After a few long months, we are almost ready to re open. We have been working around the clock to get things in order. During this time we have re-evaluated our restaurant on many aspects. I'm sure you are all aware that we are trying to recruit staff, but have found it incredibly difficult with the current climate within the hospitality industry to recruit.
"However, with that said we are not wanting to delay or disappoint our fantastic customers any longer and have decided that there comes a time when you have to diversify in order to push forward! We are planning on reducing our menu and will be offering deliveries and collections only until we have fully recruited.
"We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and we hope you understand and can support us in our decision. Please don’t worry about your vouchers as they are all still valid and you will be able to use them for your deliveries or collections through our online ordering platform. But if you prefer, you can keep them to use when the restaurant is fully reopen too!
"We are delighted to announce that we will reopen on Wednesday 7th September from 5pm!!!!"
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