The Lab | Sourdough Pizza, a popular restaurant in Dublin 8, will be closing its doors for the final time on 3 December.
The restaurant opened four years ago and sold itself as ‘the home of sourdough pizza’.
The pizzeria was known for experimenting with fermented sourdough and off-beat toppings.
‘Rising Costs’
The announcement about closing was made on social media three days ago and met with sadness by many regular customers.
The owners of the restaurant noted that it was closing due to ‘various reasons, including the rising costs associated with running a hospitality business.’
However, the owners have also stated that they haven’t lost their passion for sourdough pizza and might appear somewhere in the future.
‘Loyal Customers’
‘Thank you again to our loyal customers, very patient friends, supportive family and the amazing staff who have made the last 4 years possible,’ read the message posted on Instagram.
‘We know something exciting will be popping up in our space soon, and we wish the new owners all the best!’
‘Very Challenging Time’
The news comes in the same month that Richard Corrigan announced that his Park Café in Ballsbridge would be closing, after just a year in business.
The restaurant issued an email on 17 November, telling customers of its planned closure.
‘In what has been a very challenging time for the hospitality industry, it unfortunately no longer makes commercial sense for […] us to remain open,’ the email read.
VAT Rate
Paul Lenehan, president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), recently warned that the government is failing the hospitality industry and criticised its decision to revert the VAT rate for the sector to 13.5%.
“The RAI and myself will continue to highlight each and every closure caused by the decision to hike the hospitality VAT rate, to make sure the government knows the name of the restaurants, cafes and gastropubs their decisions have ruined,” said Lenehan at the RAI Annual Conference and President’s Dinner on 13 November.
