Badenoch’s bar and restaurant in Elgin is calling last orders due to “massive” cost increases.
The restaurant, which specialises in burgers, will serve guests for the final time on Saturday night.
Despite enjoying “lots of solid days and nights when everything just went right”, it “hasn’t been plain sailing” since Badenoch’s opened in December 2018.
And now, with rising costs adding to the challenges of the last two years for hospitality, general manager Ross Archibald has decided to close.
Saturday will be the venue’s last day of business.
‘High streets are going to die’
He told The Press and Journal: “I feel sad, it’s been four years of hard work and carving out a wee niche for ourselves.
“It’s one of those things where you kind of feel as if you’re having an out of body experience.”
Mr Archibald now fears for the future of other local businesses and feels more support is needed to keep them afloat.
“If you look at the help hospitality has had since Covid stared, we’ve become an afterthought compared to everything else.
“We’re all going through a cost-of-living crisis just now; it’s kind of like hospitality has been left to fend for itself.
“The outlook for hospitality doesn’t feel too rosy, it’s a shame because without local, independent businesses, high streets are going to die or become filled with chain pubs.”
A thank you
Badenoch’s is the latest in a host of restaurants and businesses whose doors have been pushed closed by the cost-of-living crisis.
Mr Archibald shared some of the highlights from the last four years in a Facebook post.
He wrote: “We had some brilliant times,and will always remember them.
“That first Champions League final. The dive bar wedding.
“Beer garden pints as soon as we were allowed. Brilliant live music gigs (as well as the love you’ve given our playlists).”
He addressed his “pretty awesome” customers and thanked them for their support.
“We didn’t set out to be everyone’s cup of tea, and are so deeply p̵u̵z̵z̵l̵e̵d̵ thankful to have been well loved by so many,” he said. “You’re the best of them.”
‘It’s not too late’
While announcing the closure, Badenoch’s made a plea to employers to get in touch if they had space to take on their staff.
A follow-up post on Facebook said a number of businesses had already been in touch.
The Badenoch’s team is offering 20% off all drinks – with Mr Archibald claiming the deal is “what a cost-of-living crisis mini budget should look like”.
He added: “If you’ve never tried our burgers then you should know you’ve been making bad life choices all this time. It’s not too late to rectify that.”
Conversation