A BELOVED pizzeria has closed for good after battling soaring costs, leaving loyal customers devastated.
Three Joes Sourdough Pizza, renowned for its freshly made sourdough pizzas, has officially shut down.
The restaurant’s branch in Meadowhall’s upper Oasis Dining Quarter will close this week.
The Pizzeria, which first opened in 2019, is the latest casualty at the Sheffield shopping complex.
Three Joes Sourdough Pizza claimed to make all pizzas “fresh, with the finest” ingredients.
Announcing the closure, a spokesperson for the restaurant said: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our Three Joes restaurant at Meadowhall, effective this week.”
They added: “This has been an incredibly difficult decision for us, but like many restaurants in the current climate, we are facing ever-increasing costs that have made it exceptionally difficult.”
Devastated diners shared their disappointment, with one saying: “So gutted, used to bring the kids here.”
Another wrote: “Wow, so sad to see another place close.”
One customer questioned: “Why is everything closing down?”
Three Joes’ Winchester branch will remain open.
The pizzeria is not the only restaurant to face difficulty with rising costs.
The closure comes just days after Bistrot Pierre suddenly closed eight locations, leaving 150 staff out of work.
The closures affected branches in Sutton Coldfield, Newport, Southport, Birmingham, Preston, Kidderminster, Leamington Spa, and Coventry, with bosses blaming Labour’s tax hikes in the Autumn Budget for piling pressure on hospitality businesses.
Nick White, CEO of Bistrot Pierre, said of the closures: “The impending increases in National Minimum Wage and National Insurance contributions will add hundreds of thousands of pounds to our costs, making our smaller locations simply unviable.”
Another beloved Italian restaurant once described as a “diamond” by diners suddenly shut its doors after nearly 50 years of operations.
Santoro in Yarm, North Yorkshire, announced on its website that it had permanently closed its doors after a “wonderful 45 years of business.”
Elsewhere, well-known Italian restaurant chain Wildwood, announced the closure of its restaurant in Chelsmford.
The hospitality sector has been hit hard by rising expenses and government tax changes, with many struggling to survive in a tough financial climate.
Hospitality industry struggles
Many food and drink businesses have faced significant challenges recently, as the rising cost of living has led to a decline in dining out.
After struggling to recover from the impact of the pandemic, many establishments were then hit with soaring energy bills and mounting inflationary pressures.
This has forced several well-known chains to shut locations, with big brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s among those affected.
Craig Rachel, director at financial advisory firm AlixPartners, outlined the key factors that have driven businesses to close sites last year, in 2024.
He said: “Restaurants have seen the accumulation of external pressures in 2024, including rising utility costs, food prices and labour costs.
“Although some of these factors have stabilised over recent months, the overall impact is significant and will be exacerbated again in 2025 following the budget announcements, and this has all affected profitability.
“Some restaurant groups have been able to mitigate this to a certain extent through operational efficiencies and pricing, but consumer spending in the sector is under pressure meaning price measures are often unable to fully bridge the gap.”