A restaurant in Co Down has announced it's set to close after a "long and hard few months."
Amid the cost of living crisis, Coulter Restaurant in Ballynahinch announced they will be closing with their final service operating on Saturday, July 2. Cristina and Stevie Higginson, the couple behind The Square Bistro in Lisburn, first opened the Dromore Street restaurant in 2021.
The building previously housed Bull & Ram, with the name harking back to the original butcher’s shop that traded from the premises.
Read more: Belfast restaurant announces closure due to cost of living crisis
In a statement shared on social media, the team said they were closing due to issues around staff recruitment and rising costs. The statement said: "After a long and hard few months, we have decided to close Coulter Restaurant. Our last service will be Saturday, 2nd July.
"As a result of issues recruiting staff and rising costs, our business will be unable to continue operating for the foreseeable future. We are very grateful for our phenomenal staff and loyal customers who helped us create this fantastic little restaurant."
Posting on Twitter, the restaurant's owner, Stevie Higginson, added: "We started this in 2019 before Covid and battled through but sometimes with all the will in the world it ain’t enough.
"The team we had were amazing but constant issues with chefs was always a struggle. Then the rising cost issue just tipped the balance."
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