Three Cork cafés announce closures in one day as many more barely scrape by
It’s another dark day for hospitality in Cork.
Three much-loved local café and restaurant businesses have announced they are to close in the past 24 hours, with rising costs leaving many more battling to survive.
The Kabin Cafes have reached the end of the line in Ballinhassig and Ballincollig.
Owner Tadhg Long said “the unforeseen rising costs of doing business has made it impossible for both premises to operate successfully.”
The Ballinhassig location will close for good on January 19th, followed by the Ballincollig café on January 26th.
“The Kabin Catering Co. continues to operate all its other corporate, private and commercial services from its kitchen HQ in Ballinhassig along with all other units across Cork city and county.” he added.
“All of our suppliers will continue to get paid promptly along with any customers who wish to redeem valid gift vouchers and who do not get a chance to use them in the coming days or week ahead.”
‘Years of ducking and diving’
Meanwhile, in Bantry, the owners of West Cafe on Bridewell Lane have also made the difficult decision to shut up shop.
“It is with an incredibly heavy heart that we share the news that West will be closing its doors for the last time on Tuesday, January 28th.” Chris Heinhold and Emer Kelly shared on social media.
“We opened West in time for Covid. With the first lockdown, our cafe in Cork City immediately closed and we made the decision to focus our attention on Bantry coming out of it. Years of ducking and diving, changing menus and becoming a shop / off-license / garden bar /takeaway / whatever we needed to be, took its toll.
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“Unfortunately, we have been carrying the fallout from all of that. Keeping the business running while dealing with the legacy debt and the energy crisis.”
Sadly, the pair say they have come to a point where they can’t continue:
“Margins, always tight in our industry, are non-existent today, and with supplier prices changing constantly it is incredibly difficult to keep producing a high quality product at a reasonable price. Shocks, such as the recent cold weather, take an enormous toll. We love what we do, and this decision has not been taken lightly.” they added.
