Mayo restaurateur reveals heartbreak of closure due to crippling costs
The proprietor of one of Mayo's busiest town centre restaurants has spoken of the pain and heartbreak of having to make 'the stark and logical decision' of closing his doors.
Paudy O'Malley told The Connaught Telegraph that his Mill Lane business in Castlebar was trading very successfully over the past number of years - but the rising and crippling costs of food, electricity, rates, PRSI, PAYE, insurance and VAT transformed it into one that was simply unsustainable into the future.
He revealed: "I could have kept going for another few years. But when I studied the figures, I could see clearly that it did not offer a secure future for a man and his young family.
"I have lost everything now, but I would have been only fooling myself if I kept it going because, after paying all the overheads, there was very little profit.
“I am not the only one in this sector feeling the pain because it's a struggle to keep meeting the costs and particularly so when you have a slow week or two.
"Essentially, I faced having to make €850,000 per annum before I earned any level of real profit, once all my bills were paid. And I was cutting back costs as much as I could, doing the cleaning and so forth myself. I worked six days a week and, to be frank, there was nothing out if it anymore.
“I may have survived a little longer if I had not incurred legacy costs from setting up the restaurant in September 2022. But there was no long term future in it, I could see."
Mr. O'Malley said the cost of electricity alone in 2023 came to €40,000 despite the fact that gas was used in the cooking of all meals. That was mostly made up by refrigeration and light.
"I had a very busy month of December with a turnover of €80,000. But when all the costs were taken into account, there was very little left for my own family costs.
"We got off to a slow start in January due to adverse weather conditions and the storms. But you still have the same outgoings whether business is brisk or not. I was paying out €3,000 per week on food alone.
"By the middle of the month, I knew I had to make a difficult decision in the interests of my family's future.
"I looked at every option and saw the business was not viable when all the costs were factored in. I had to look at it starkly and logically and the heartbreaking conclusion was closure."
The shock news was relayed via the Mill Lane Facebook page on the morning of January 29.
It stated: "It is with deep regret that we announce the closure of Mill Lane.
"A sincere thanks to all the staff who have helped make Mill Lane what it is today.
"And to you, our loyal customers, thank you for all your support and more importantly, the laughter. I look forward to the next chapter. We’ll see you around."
The post was signed by Paudy, Elaine and all the crew at Mill Lane.
Many customers have expressed sadness at the decision. One stated: "It was such a beautiful place to eat. The food was delicious and such a friendly, warm atmosphere. So sad to see it close."