A DUBLIN RESTAURANT that is set to close this weekend after 28 years in business has said that prolonged street works were the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.

In a post last night on social media, Luigi Malones in Temple Bar said it was “with a heavy heart” that it announced the restaurant will close this coming Sunday, after 28 years trading in this location.

The restaurant said there is a “sense of deep frustration” and added that they have been “effectively barricaded into our own premises for the last three months as the street is being dug up and rebuilt around us”.

“As a result, our turnover plummeted in that period and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said the restaurant.

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They said the works resulted in “consequential financial loss which makes it impossible to trade on without inflicting damage on all stakeholders”.

“We know streets have to be repaired,” said Luigi Malones, “but this project which we were told would take one month took over three.”

The restaurant said it is “appreciative of the support and loyalty of our management and staff through what has been a difficult and frustrating time for them also”.

“Despite their best efforts, we were all fighting an up-hill battle when our restaurant was so inaccessible.”

While Luigi Malone’s acknowledged that it had been “affected also by the gradual but general decline in trade in Dublin City Centre” and also pointed to “inflationary pressures that have made it impossible for our operation to trade at a profit”.

The restaurant said it will accept any gift vouchers in the interim and will also honour them at Luigi Malones Cork restaurant.

The Dublin restaurant also thanked its “many customers over the years who frequented our restaurant”.

In a statement to The Journal, the Restaurants Association of Ireland remarked that “yet another good business is gone”.

Its CEO Adrian Cummins said it is “incredibly sad to see a well-established restaurant like Luigi Malones close its doors after 28 years”.

“This isn’t just the end of a restaurant,” said Cummins, “it’s the end of a story, a team and livelihoods.

“Unfortunately, this continues to be a daily occurrence across the country.”

He remarked that the “disruption they experienced over the past three months highlights just how razor-thin margins are in this sector”.

“Businesses simply can’t absorb unexpected blows like prolonged construction or rising costs,” said Cummins.

Dublin City Council has been approached for comment.