808 Bar & Kitchen temporarily closes

Sunderland city centre venue 808 Bar & Kitchen has said that new restrictions have make it “impossible to operate in a viable manner”.

The announcement was made on Sunday evening (October 4) via social media although it is hoped the closure will only be for a short period of time.

Local lockdown restrictions have forced the temporary closure of the venue with owners stating that the strict policies have made it “impossible to operate”.

The bar only reopened in July following the national lockdown and had to close last month for a deep clean after a customer tested positive for coronavirus.

It becomes the latest venue in Sunderland to announce a temporary closure, with the owner of The Point, Ttonic and Glitterball confirming they would remain closed until a plan can be made to deal with the tighter measures.

The new rules mean that people can only socialise with their household in pubs and restaurants.

A statement on the 808 Bar & Kitchen Facebook page said: “As of today we regret to announce that we are temporarily closing the doors to 808, for what we are hoping will only be a short period.

"When we opened back up in July we were overwhelmed with the positive response to our new menu and the demand for bookings was high.

“However, due to the impact of the local lockdown and the recently updated restrictions, we feel that our hands are tied and have no choice but to adapt to the current times, doing what we feel is right for both our staff, business and vision.”