A couple who wrote an open letter to the prime minister saying they were “struggling” due to lockdown are to close their Manchester restaurant.
Owners Peter and Elaine Kinsella said it had been a “very difficult decision” to permanently close their Spanish deli and restaurant Lunya on Deansgate.
They said they had no choice but to shut the most expensive site to avoid bringing “the whole company down”.
Both Lunya restaurants in Liverpool will continue to trade.
In a statement, the couple said: “The impact of temporary closure of all three of our sites due to the coronavirus has been devastating.
“Despite the incredible effort we are making with our online business, your unbelievable support, introducing meals to go and our soon to launch take-away, home delivery and collections of hot tapas from Hanover St, it is not enough.
“To ensure that Lunya has a future, we have to close our Manchester site permanently.
“Rest assured that our online, Liverpool and Albert Dock restaurants are safe (or as safe as anything can be at the moment) and will be reopening fully as soon as government rules allow and we are well advanced in our preparations for this and confident about our future.”
In an open letter to Boris Johnson in March, Peter Kinsella wrote that he would “never be able to repay” a government loan for businesses hit by coronavirus and that was “terrified and worried” for his 105 employees.
