City restaurant announces permanent closure

Bodega Cantina has been in the city for more than eight years

A Leicester restaurant has announced its permanent closure after more than eight years in the city.

Bodega Cantina, which was located in St Martins Square and specialised in South American cuisine, said it would be shutting its doors for the final time at the end of Sunday.

In a social media post, management said they made the "painful" decision to close because the restaurant was "no longer financially viable".

"We hope the closure at the end of this week allows customers to experience Bodega Cantina for the last time in Leicester", the post added.

The restaurant said its Birmingham branch would remain open.

Allen Simpson, the deputy chief executive of UK Hospitality, said about 20% of hospitality businesses had closed in Leicestershire since the Covid pandemic.

"It's really tough to see any business close down and Bodega Cantina is a classic business which has been popular for business but still struggled to make money," he told BBC Radio Leicester.

"It reflects the fact hospitality businesses are struggling with cost rather than with demand.

"Businesses are having to absorb the costs of energy and food prices, so businesses who are doing really well are having to take these tough decisions."