Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Street food market shuts down just six weeks after launch
Covid-19 restrictions make business ‘unviable’
‘It was a place to enjoy good food in a casual setting and we do not believe that this can be carried forward within the new guidelines...’
The city’s first indoor street food market is set to close as bosses claim new coronavirus restrictions have made the hospitality industry “unviable”.
Sun Street Feast opened in August after moving into Pork & Co’s former restaurant site in the centre of Canterbury. The business brought together five vendors serving buttermilk chicken, burgers, burritos and pizza.
But six weeks after its launch, owners have announced the venture will shut this weekend. The new rules, which were announced by the government last week, restrict pubs, bars and restaurants to operating with table service only.
Staff and customers must also wear face masks, unless seated, and businesses must close by 10pm.
In a statement, a spokesman said: “All of us at Sun Street Feast are really sorry to have to announce that we will be closing as of Sunday, October 4. “The new government restrictions have meant that we cannot operate Sun Street Feast in the way we all envisaged when we set it up.
“It was a place to enjoy good food and drinks in a casual setting and we do not believe that this can be carried forward within the new guidelines, and certainly not if they become more stringent.
“The whole hospitality industry is struggling to remain financially viable and unfortunately all the best intentions in the world can’t make that happen when this is the situation we find ourselves in.”
Pork & Co announced during lockdown that it was to close its sit-down restaurant, as bosses said it no longer made financial sense.
However, it had been running a takeaway service and taproom as one of the vendors at Sun Street Feast - and that will continue to operate from the site after the market closes. Also trading at the space is Café Yaya, a New Orleans-inspired coffee and beignet stand. The statement adds: “We wish it could have worked out differently.
“We really hope we will see some of you as we head into the last few days here.
“We also need to mention that from now until we close we will no longer be allowed to sell alcohol, so we can continue to operate our style of service within the new guidelines. “Thank you for all your support and we hope to see you on the other side in one way or another.”