Popular Galway city falafel and vegetarian restaurant The Gourmet Offensive has closed down due to the pandemic, and ongoing economic pressure.
The much loved spot, which has been at Mary Street in the city centre for 7 years, started in 2005 as a stall at St Nicholas’ market, selling falafel and fresh salads.
Owner Floris Wagemakker says the decision to close “had to be made” and felt it was “out of their hands” due to the current economic climate.
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Speaking to Galway Bay FM, Wagemakker said: "In the food business, you always want low margins but we, we've always used very high quality ingredients.”
He pointed to inflation as one of the main reasons for the restaurant's closure.
“It's becoming impossible to provide the same, the same products, the same quality.”
The closure comes as the hospitality industry faces challenges including rising raw material costs and surging energy bills, higher business rates, a tightening labour market and a dip in disposable income for customers who’d normally frequent pubs, hotels and restaurants.
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