Strada restaurant in Mailbox set to close
ITALIAN restaurant chain Strada is shutting its Birmingham Mailbox branch as part of a series of closures blamed on rising wage costs and hikes in rent.
The Mailbox eaterie is one of nine to be closed because they are no longer viable “in this increasingly competitive market”.
It will close on Saturday, January 6 but its venue at the nearby ICC in Broad Street continues to trade.
Although the Mailbox is an area of high footfall, Strada is doing battle there with several places to eat, including Pizza Express, Bar Estilo and Café Rouge.
A Strada spokesman said: “Following a comprehensive review, it is with regret that we are closing a number of our Strada restaurants as they are no longer viable as Stradas in this increasingly competitive market.
“Where possible, we are converting the sites to new formats or selling them to other operators but, in some cases, recent increases in rents and rates, coupled with government-decreed rises in wage costs, make it very difficult to operate profitably a full service restaurant serving fresh food. We hate closing restaurants and so this has been a difficult decision. We also appreciate that this will be a tough time for our team members and local communities alike.”