Belfast’s longest-running Michelin-starred restaurant, Deanes Eipic, is set to close its doors in January after a quarter of a century in business.
The announcement came from chef proprietor Michael Deane, who said the closure is part of a “development plan to readjust their customer offering”.
Deane, who has held a Michelin star in Belfast for 25 years, blamed the closure on “current market demands and changing customer preferences”.
He said that "with Brexit, Covid and now the cost of living crisis, the world has changed, my team has changed, customers have changed their choices, and I have changed".
The 62-year-old added “I am excited and invigorated by this opportunity to refresh the business, but I must also say how very proud I am of the Michelin star and the length of time we have been fortunate to have it."
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Deane plans to expand the restaurant’s Howard Street premises to create a new dining concept with “an increased focus on value for money”.
Aspects of existing restaurants Love Fish and Meat Locker will be combined into a new offering.
The celebrated chef said the decision was made “to underpin sustainability and profitability, which secures a business and jobs”.
He thanked the Eipic team, saying: “I want to thank all our customers and look forward to welcoming them in the New Year."
In August, the closure of the company's Deane & Decano restaurant on Lisburn Road was announced following “a proposed unsustainable rent hike”.
The veteran chef, who now owns seven restaurants across Belfast, is highly respected in the industry.
In March, he was named ‘Mentor of the Year’ at the 2023 Michelin Guide awards, which he said showed the importance of “making the next generation better”.
Mr Deane is the latest in a line of successful restaurateurs in Belfast forced to shut up shop in response to the changing economic landscape.
In May, popular south Belfast restaurant The Barking Dog announced its closure after 15 years, with owner Michael O’Connor blaming “a combination of soaring costs, staff shortages and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”.