A County Durham restaurant has been forced to close its doors after five years – with the owners highlighting the inconsistency of running a business through Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Spudfellas has stood on Fore Bondgate in Bishop Auckland since 2017 – when it opened as an alternative café, music venue, bar and food place that served burgers, topped fries, and a range of other offerings.
From its creation, it has become a popular name within the Bishop Auckland food scene – racking up 6000 social media followers and offering people a chilled atmosphere to unwind.
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However, after the positive times that come with running a restaurant – the County Durham venue’s owners, Faye and Paul, announced on Sunday (June 26) that it will be closing ‘in the coming weeks’.
Despite the pair stating online that this was a tough decision to make, they noted Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic as reasons for rising costs and lack of stock, which contributed to being unable to “produce quality and consistency”.
In a statement shared online, Spudfellas said: “We're beyond gutted to announce this but Spudfellas will be closing in the coming weeks.
“This has been a painful decision and we've had tears, second thoughts and headaches over it.
“Ultimately the current climate in a small hospitality business is rough, our costs have risen astronomically over the last six months and will continue to do so.
“Brexit and the pandemic have massively contributed to lack of stock and availability to produce quality and consistency.”
The post went on to praise the staff that worked at Spudfellas and the customers that has supported the business.
The post added: “We are beyond proud of what we've achieved as a team, but we can't be our best selves in these circumstances.
“We'd like to sincerely thank all our lovely customers for your support over the last five years.
“It's been such an amazing experience and we've made friends for life. To our staff past and present, you're the best of the best and you're wonderful, talented people, thank you.
“To everyone who's helped us put on music nights and socials, they were hellish and brought so many people together for good, thank you for your time and talent.
“To our family and friends who've guided and helped us (and washed up) through this venture, we couldn't have done it without you.
“You've helped us build something so special and it was our way.”
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