The owner of a West Belfast cafe said she's "gutted" after being forced to close her doors just one year after opening due to rising energy bills.
Grainne Carson opened Patisserie G on Beechmount Avenue last August, and in that time the cafe became a community hub by operating daily breakfast clubs, a book club, and a weekly young entrepreneur club for local kids.
However, Grainne said she has now been left with no other option than to close her doors for good as energy bills continue to rise.
Read more: Belfast cafe owner struggling to stay open as energy bills rise
She had been paying between £700 and £1,200 per month for electricity alone but said this will soon be hitting £5,000 for two months as the winter months approach.
In a post on social media, Grainne announced the cafe's closure while thanking the local people of Beechmount for "making the long hours totally worth it."
"I’ve definitely loved every minute. Due to the increase in electricity I have no choice but to close," she added.
"I'm gutted the free breakfast club I started won’t be available as I know come October it will be so much harder for families. The bathroom always stocked for period poverty will no longer be available, our young entrepreneur club I was hoping to do again at Halloween and Christmas won’t happen.
"If I stay open I’ll be given an electric bill I won’t be able to afford. Possibly £3k to 5k for two months as more electricity is used in winter months.
"I’m not the only one in this position and so many have closed already with so many more struggling to stay open. As I said before the clock is ticking on all of us. Small businesses will be no more if the government don’t act now.
"The big chains will have help and the funds to keep going. The heart and soul, small businesses of the community will have to close their doors one by one."
Speaking to Belfast Live last month about her fears as the cost of living crisis deepens, Grainne said she was concerned about what would happen to their regular customers.
She said: "I love being a part of the community, I love the buzz of kids coming in and out of the cafe. It's a place you can come in and be comfortable.
"It's the elderly that come in here and stay for two hours just for company because they don't have that at home. I'm already panic-stricken about what's going to happen to them if we close, what if our elderly regulars don't have somewhere to go.
"We'll be worrying if certain kids are OK as we were helping them with breakfasts each day. If they're coming in here and having breakfast, that's getting them through to lunch each day."
Grainne said the local children who use the breakfast club and attend the young entrepreneurs club began to think of ways to help reduce costs.
"They said they would light the place up with candles if it meant we could keep the doors open," Grainne added.
"But it's not just having the lights on, it's having the ovens on, the coffee machine on. We've already turned our freezer and loads of other stuff off to try and keep costs down, but there's nothing we can do. It's the same situation a lot of places are in right now, it's just disgusting."
Patisserie G will remain open until Saturday, September 24, with Grainne planning a party to "celebrate over a year of people that have found a place in my heart."
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