A long-running dispute with council bosses that ultimately led to the closure of a Newcastle restaurant has cost the business at least £500,000, its owners claim.
Popular pan-Asian eatery Geisha shocked customers last week when it announced that its Jesmond site had shut down, with the venture relocating to a new base in Benton. In a widely-shared Facebook post, bosses confirmed the closure of the Sandyford Road restaurant and alleged that they had been “victimised, persecuted and bullied” by Newcastle City Council.
It follows a series of rows over add-ons to the site which had been erected before planning permission was secured and subsequently had to be torn down, while the local authority has insisted that the allegations against it were made “without any evidence”. The restaurant’s owners have now told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the prolonged battle has had a major financial impact.
