An Elgin restaurant is being forced to close its doors after four years in business due to rising costs.
The 156 Bar and Grill opened on the High Street in December 2020 and proved an immediate hit.
The American-style diner offered something new to the town centre and became a favourite spot for locals to grab a bite to eat.
Sadly the owners have now made the decision to close the business with rising costs “spiralling” out of control.
In a post they said running the restaurant had become ‘unsustainable’ – though they did express hope it may yet return.
They have now relocated as many staff members as possible and have thanked them, along with their customers, for their support over the years.
Owner ‘sad’ to close restaurant
In a post on social media, the owners said: “We are sad to be posting that 156 Bar and Grill will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
“Like many other businesses in the area, the increased running costs have spiralled, and it has simply become unsustainable to continue.
“We have relocated as many staff members as possible, and would like to thank them all, along with our customers, for the last few years.
“Hopefully 156 will not be gone forever, but for now it is the most prudent option.”
Anyone still holding vouchers is asked to email 156barandgrill@gmail.com for reimbursement.
The American-themed diner first opened its doors to customers on December 18, 2020.
Within 36 hours of welcoming their first customers, however, it was announced the region would move from Level 1 Covid restrictions to the far tougher Level 4 as rules tightened across the country.
That barred the restaurant and others within the region from serving sit-in meals.
Diner 156 Bar & Grill continued to sell takeaways during the second lockdown and offered free lunchtime meals for school pupils to create extra hours for staff.
Rocky start for Elgin restaurant during pandemic
At the time, co-owner Paul Davies said: “It’s incredibly frustrating.
“We’ve been working on this project for eight or nine months, which has brought a property that was empty for nearly two years back into use.
“We finally managed to get through all of the original restrictions and then got told the next day we had to close in four days.
“All our staff came from other jobs where they would have been entitled to furlough.
“It’s not fair for them to be punished.”
In 2022, the business ran its own “Karen diner” event for the night.
The concept, which first came to the UK in Manchester and Sheffield, became a social media sensation that venues up and down the country are tapping into.
Restaurant hosted Moray’s first Karen Diner
The idea is that customers book into a restaurant knowing fine well that staff will be rude to them from the instant they step into the building to the moment they leave.
The idea was first launched in Australia and then made its way to Elgin, which was the first place in the north to run anything like it.
When the event was posted on the diner’s social media pages it sold out almost immediately.
Conversation