A restaurant that opened just before the pandemic has announced its last day of trading will be April 29, after a tumultuous few years of trading. Headed up by friends Holly Meyrick and Palestine-born chef Omar Jowhar, Jafra on Gloucester Road serves a range of traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, including flatbreads, musakhan and nabulsi, with a popular Sunday Roast offering.
On Instagram, Omar wrote: "For whatever reasons; too many false starts, global pandemic, faltering economy - whatever, the chips didn’t land" and that "after two and a half years, the big lights are coming up and it’s time to call curtains." But in the lengthy post, they paid tribute to their staff and customers, adding: "We set out to do something different, joining the leagues of amazing Bristol independents sticking two fingers up to the tide of mediocrity."
Since its conception, Jafra has faced turbulent times, launching in March 2020 as a festival concept that aimed to combine food, music and performance. The set-up included a vintage bus renovated into a fully functioning kitchen, a large stretch tent, and seating for 200 people.
Read more: The Bristol restaurant that's had nothing but five-star reviews since opening
However, after the cancellation of 15 festivals shortly after their launch and a robbery that stripped their bus of thousands of pounds worth of equipment, their business plans were shattered. Not wanting to give up, Omar and Holly instead worked with what little they had left to create a version of the business that would be able to operate during the pandemic, opening a restaurant on Midland Road in Old Market as well as pop-ups at Strange Brew and The Love Inn.
Taking influence from the Palestinian flavours that Omar grew up with, Jafra got off to a flying start, earning nothing but five-star reviews on Google in its first few months of trade and even featured as a location in The Outlaws season two. However, in December 2021, with Covid cases spiking, the restaurant launched a survival appeal to ensure it could keep trading.
The Crowdfunder raised £13,555 in 21 days by pre-selling some of Jafra's most popular dishes, which customers could then redeem over the next year to give it a much-needed cash boost to get through the winter. In the appeal, Omar wrote: "The last couple of years has been the most exciting, exhilarating and rewarding experience whilst simultaneously being the most depleting and challenging of our lives.
"Every time we thought we reached the edge, we'd push a little further. Always managing to find a bit more room. But now, as the latest surge of coronavirus has hit, we've had to shutter up early during the most crucial part of the year, placing us in a very dire financial situation.
"We have gone as far as we can go on our own and are looking to our amazing customers and community for support." While the appeal was successful, the financial landscape 15 months later is arguably even more challenging for the hospitality sector, as inflation is still rising and government support for help with fuel bills is set to begin tapering off.
In a statement released on Instagram on Thursday (March 23), Omar wrote: "It’s painful to say out loud, but April 29 will be our last day of trading. After two and a half years, the big lights are coming up, and it’s time to call curtains.
"We set out to do something different, joining the leagues of amazing Bristol independents sticking two fingers up to the tide of mediocrity. Against a culinary backdrop, we sought to add something to the accent of this city. To create spaces for people to come together, share, eat, be merry, and, if we were lucky, to enjoy it all. To a certain degree, at least on that mission, I believe we achieved.
"For whatever reasons; too many false starts, global pandemic, faltering economy - whatever, the chips didn’t land. That’s okay, we took our shot and we loved every second.
"In every guise and iteration, we invented and contorted. We gave as good as we got and took DIY to a whole new level while doing it. We’re thankful to everyone that ate and continues to eat with us.
"You give us the license to create and vindicate our craft. You gave us reason to wake up and do it again and again.
"We’ve had the chance to do what we loved, with people we love, our way. For that, I will always be grateful.
"Personally, it’s been a blessing to do this with my crew. My chosen family. The ones that have continued to believe at every pitfall, never perturbed by the uncertainty. No idea or endeavour too big or too weird. You’re a bunch of resilient f****rs.
"It’s been a ride. Thank you, you humble me. For the time being, we’ll continue to put out the food you have loved throughout, with one final iteration to our brunch menu being released next week. Roasts to continue until the April 23.
"One more time with feeling."
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