Madam, – It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of the Mermaid Café and Gruel on Dame Street, Dublin.
For two years we have weathered the economic storm which has seen a fall-off in trade of over 30 per cent, but have now been forced to lock our doors primarily by the intransigence of landords who still demand boom-time rents with their upward-only review mechanisms still in place.
As we depart, we can only wonder at the shortsightedness of this behaviour that has robbed Dublin of a viable business operating what we believe to have been two well-loved eateries, placed 30 people out of work and left many suppliers high and dry as we enter a new year. To these latter, our strongest feeling of regret.
We hope over the past 16 years that we have contributed something to the cultural life of the capital and we would like especially to thank all our loyal patrons over the years, many Irish Times readers among them, who may miss us as we do them, for their support. Goodbye and good luck. – Yours, etc,