A POPULAR Newcastle restaurant has shut until further notice.
The owners of the acclaimed Copper seafood restaurant and grill announced last Tuesday night, in a social media post, that soaring costs – coupled with staff recruitment issues – had led to the decision, with the last day of trade on Sunday, Father’s Day.
Stating that this would not be the end of the business, but ‘a short sabbatical until things settle down’ the Main Street business’s management told customers they were unable to continue to operate in the current financial climate.
Describing how ‘hospitality, along with so many other industries, is on its knees’, the restaurant’s proprietors added that the decision to temporarily close ‘has not been an easy decision to make or one we have taken lightly’.
The post also levelled criticism at politicians, who were urged to ‘take their head out of the sand very soon and find a solution before it’s too late’.
Thanking customers and staff or their loyalty over the years, the post read: ‘We have come to the regrettable decision to temporarily close Copper Restaurant until further notice. For now, our last day of trading will be Father’s Day, 19 June 2022.
This has not been an easy decision to make or one we have taken lightly. The constant rising overheads on a daily basis is hard to sustain. Recruiting the level of staff required to run the restaurant is virtually impossible.’
It continued: ‘Hospitality, along with so many other industries, is on its knees whilst our local government sit on their hands. Hopefully they take their head out of the sand very soon and find a solution before it’s too late.
‘This is not the end, just a short sabbatical until things settle down!’
The statement ended: ‘We would like to thank all our customers for their support over the years and our loyal staff who work tirelessly throughout what have been trying times’.
The restaurant’s website also notes that all outstanding Copper gift vouchers will be valid for use at the nearby Doc’s restaurant until 30 September.
