£1.2m Brazilian restaurant closes after a year

IT cost £1.2 million to develop – but one of Birmingham’s most talkedabout new restaurants has closed after just 14 months in business.

Viva Brazil on the corner of Waterloo Street and Bennetts Hill, was part of a small chain also operating eateries in Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff and Newcastle.

The Birmingham restaurant opened in mid-May last year but has now closed down.

Viva Brazil founder and managing director Andy Aldrich told the Post : “It is with deep regret that we close the Birmingham site. All of the staff have been given the option to transfer to alternative sites within the group with immediate effect. I would like to thank customers who dined with us since we opened.”

The restaurant’s short lease of life means that the £1.2 million cost has worked out at around £2,800 per day.

When the eaterie opened, Aldrick said: “Viva Birmingham has incredible untapped potential to become our leading restaurant across the country. We are in the perfect location for business and leisure users alike, whether it’s a lunchtime meal or post-work drinks.”

And restaurant manager Odu Bamgbose pledged: “We want to be here for the long term.”

There were teething troubles. The main staircase could not be installed in time for the opening – and when it finally arrived, measurements were wrong. But both dining floors had their own unique style and décor, and were rated among the most attractive in the city.

Viva Brazil is the third high-profile city restaurant to close in recent weeks – following Two Cats Kitchen on Warstone Lane and Annexe in Corporation Street.