15/02/2024
It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the permanent closure of Bohemia Alconbury Weald.
It has been an incredible experience but due to crippling financial pressures we have no choice but to close with immediate effect.
We would like to start by thanking all of our incredible staff for all their hard work. They have been a credit to our brand & deserve a better ending. Rest assured we will do all we can to retain as many as possible in our other 2 sites.
A big thank you to every customer that has stepped foot through our doors. It has been a joy to serve you. We can only hope that you loved it as much as we did. Without your support we would not have made it this far.
Obviously you will have questions & we feel that transparency is what you deserve as well as dispelling any rumours that may arise. Because on the face of it we are a busy restaurant!
The hospitality industry has always been a brutal, yet fragile beast, vulnerable to circumstances out of its control & the last 2 years have been particularly harsh.
The cost of living crisis hit us hard & with prices of stock skyrocketing, wages going up. All with less money coming in. It has been something of a perfect storm, squeezing an already small profit margin to nothing.
The nail in Alconbury’s coffin is utilities. Back in 2022 through no fault of our own we found ourselves out of contract just as the prices started to spike. This left us incredibly vulnerable & we were left with a contract triple the price of our previous rate. While initially gov discounts helped, when that ended & it became clear we were about to struggle.
We have done everything we can to try & renegotiate & fight our corner. We have worked tirelessly for the last year to make it work. But with future increases in all areas on the horizon unfortunately there is just no way of covering the costs.
Independents are struggling all over so whenever you have the choice between a massive corp or an independent business then please do shop small, they need you so much more.
We look forward to welcoming you in to our flagship St Neots branch which remains open & also needs your support
James & Ash
