Business

Fears Belfast healthy eating restaurant has closed at cost of 30 jobs

There are fears Skinny Kitchen has closed its Belfast restaurant at a cost of up to 30 jobs
There are fears Skinny Kitchen has closed its Belfast restaurant at a cost of up to 30 jobs There are fears Skinny Kitchen has closed its Belfast restaurant at a cost of up to 30 jobs

THERE are fears that healthy eating restaurant Skinny Kitchen has closed its Belfast outlet after less than two years, at a cost of 30 jobs.

The eatery, situated at the site of the former Browne's Bar and Grill, closed its doors this week, with the long-term future of the Belfast branch now in jeopardy.

A sign on the door states the business is "closed until further notice", while the Skinny Kitchen website no longer lists Belfast as one of its locations.

The Belfast restaurant opened in January last year, creating 30 new jobs.

At the time bosses also announced plans to open a further two restaurants in Northern Ireland in quick succession, creating a further 60 jobs.

Neither restaurant however came to fruition, with the healthy-eating chain now appearing to have abandoned expansion plans in the north.

Skinny Kitchen could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Skinny Kitchen has two other UK locations in London and Canterbury and a further two in Ibiza, where the business started. The company's Bournemouth branch closed in March.

The restaurant chain, which has a strong focus on healthy food, was founded in 2014 by Joel Belchem, Lois Breckell and Rachel and David Mason.

News of the possible closure of Skinny Kitchen in Belfast comes just weeks after a new £300,000 healthy eating restaurant opened in the city centre.

Last month Stack’s Healthy Kitchen opened a 1,600 sq ft unit at the Soloist building on Lanyon Place, creating 25 jobs.

Fronted by James Deery, owner of Stacks Bistro on the Mallusk Road in Newtownabbey, the restaurant is the latest tenant at the modern office block and could be part of an Ireland-wide expansion, which may include as many as four outlets in the north.

“We’re already looking at The Boulevard in Banbridge and The Junction in Antrim and we’re also looking to franchise Ireland-wide,” Mr Deery said in August.

“We want to franchise the model out and obviously want three or four outlets in the north, there’s big plans.”