LAST ORDERS
Major pub chain with 152 locations closes another boozer as punters cry ‘sad but inevitable’
The salad and grill style restaurant opened in July 2012
A POPULAR pub chain has shut down one of its restaurants after opening more than 10 years ago.
The Harvester restaurant on Stirling Road, Clifton Moor, York, officially shut their doors on October 18 after a decade of service.
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The salad and grill style restaurant opened in July 2012 and brought 50 jobs to the region.
The chain restaurant is owned by Mitchells & Butlers, who have reported a slowing sales growth this financial year.
They also own All Bar One, Toby Carvery and Miller & Carter.
Harvester punters flocked to the when news of the closure broke.
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One person said: "Sad but inevitable. We used to go there weekly from when my son was born as it was easy when he was little to get him fed quicker.
"The service though the last couple of years there has been abysmal. The last time they were all behind the bar for a good 20 minutes chatting on their mobile phones to the point my son went to them to tell them he’d finished and he’d like his pudding please because it was nearly bedtime.
"It’s a shame as the staff in the early days were amazing. They’ve watched my son grow up, but since they’ve gone, it’s gone downhill rapidly."
Another person commented: "Recent reviews suggest they had trouble in fulfilling their menus with many items unavailable, salad bars empty, staff confused, tired decor etc."
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While a third person said: "Sad but on our last visit a couple of months back it was woeful.
"Salad bar nearly empty, food orders wrong and cheap frozen food."
However, other customers shared fond memories of the chain.
One person said: Went there every month or so and never had a bad meal or service, went and couple of days before it shut down and again everything was great."
While a second person said: "Sad to see this place go. My family had a few birthday meals here and our kids loved it too.
"Used to come here for lunch with work colleagues too sometimes."
It comes after a beloved pub with a massive beer garden is set to close.
The Sarah Moore sports pub in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, will be turned into a residential property after it closes its doors, to the devastation of locals.
The pub's landlords shared the sad news on Facebook after being told the lease on the building would come to an end.
Fans have described the closure as the 'end of an era' and said 'there's no other pub like it' in the town.
In a social media post the landlords said: "The building has been up for sale for some time with the intentions of it being turned into a residential property."
The pub said January 4 would be its last evening of trading.
Meanwhile, a popular mash and pie shop in South London is also set to close after 116 years of servicing customers.
The iconic store in south London has been operated by the same family for generations, and news of its closure has left customers feeling "gutted".
Harringtons Eel and Pie House on Tooting's Selkirk Road has confirmed on social media that it will close its doors after over a century of serving traditional food.
The pie and mash shop shared on Instagram: "As you can imagine, it's not been an easy decision for myself and the family to come to.
“In fact, it's been very upsetting when it's been in the family 116 years, but unfortunately as a family, we've decided we need to move forward, so unfortunately the property is up for sale and once it has sold we will be closing our doors.
“But until we have sold we are still open and selling hot pie and mash for all our beloved customers to enjoy."
The post received hundreds of comments from disappointed customers sharing their disbelief at the news of the shop's closure.
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One user wrote: "Gutted but I'll bury my head in a pie mash next week to lift my spirits until I'm forced to say bye."
"No way. Selkirk Rd will never be the same," commented another.
What is happening to the hospitality industry?
MANY food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny's closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.
The brand plans to close 20 loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.
Stonegate, has raised fears about its survival as it races to plug its debts.
And Revolution Bars Group is also carrying out a string of closures.
The company plans to close 25 locations across the UK is part of a restructuring plan granted approval by the High Court.
Pubs had feared a further blow after news leaked that the government was planning to ban smoking in pub gardens, however this policy is set to be dropped.
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