Michelin-starred restaurant closes because it’s too expensive
After 26 years in business, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is closing due to costs becoming too expensive – for both customers and the restaurant operators.
Deanes EIPIC, the flagship fine dining restaurant of an empire started by Northern Irish chef Michael Deane in the 1990s, won its first Michelin star within a year of opening as Deanes in 1997.
However, this month the company announced Deanes EIPIC will be closing by the end of 2023 due to increased price sensitivity among customers and the impact of Covid, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis. A relaunch is planned with a new “value for money” focus.
Head chef Alex Greene, a finalist on the UK TV show “Great British Menu,” tells CNN Travel he sees the move as symptomatic of a growing trend in the hospitality industry.