Northern Ireland's most famous celebrity chef, Paul Rankin, has announced the closure of his Belfast-based flagship restaurant, Cayenne. The Michelin-star winning chef and entrepreneur blamed the closure on the disturbances caused by the recent flag protests in the City, as well as locational issues, ""Location is key in the restaurant business, particularly at a time of economic downturn, and our current setting is no longer sustainable. The disturbances around the flag protest, particularly during the Christmas period, also confirmed our decision."
He continued, "The lease at our current location has now come to an end and, given the change in the Shaftesbury Square area over the last number of years, it doesn't make sense to undertake the necessary investment required to continue to operate there at this time.
The once 'golden mile' of Belfast has suffered badly from a lack of regeneration and a general decline in popularity and appearance, even the Ulster Bank with its gable end statues across from us is to close shortly."
Cayenne restaurant replaced Roscoff, the fine-dining establishment opened at the height of the Troubles in 1989 by the chef and his Canadian wife, Jeanne. While the closure of the Shaftesbury Square restaurant will see 18 full-time and part-time positions lost, Rankin has maintained that he will open a new restaurant. "We've enjoyed a very loyal and supportive relationship with our customers over all these years and hope that they will bear with us while we find the right location to re-establish our restaurant," he said.
