Iconic Grafton Street café Bewley’s to close its doors permanently

Bewley's will be sorely missed.

Bewley's Café, long a landmark of Grafton Street in Dublin, is set to permanently close its doors — citing problems due to the Covid-19 lockdown, and high rents. The closure will result in the loss of 110 jobs, according to a report in the Irish Times. Bewley's had reopened in 2017 after a three-year-closure for top-to-bottom refurbishment at a cost of €12 million. It has recently announced that it was closed "for further notice" as a result of Covid-19. Chris Andrews, a TD for Dublin Bay South, has issued a statement about the closure, saying: "Bewley's has been an iconic feature on Grafton Street for over one hundred years, and whilst it has had a difficult period in recent years, its loss will be felt by Dubliners and visitors to the city alike." He went on to warn that other businesses could be facing a similar fate: "I have had similar representations from traders in Dublin City who are struggling to afford sky-high rents at a time when they have no income coming through the doors; which seems to be a major contributory factor in the closure of Bewley's. "I would urge the government to begin tackling this issue without delay before other firms go to the wall."