[dropcap type=”circle”]T[/dropcap]he closure of Ego restaurant on Telegraph Road came as a shock to many, including one Heswall Today reader who remarked on Facebook: “Surprised at this, we were only there on Sunday. Had a nice meal as usual. It’s our regular eaterie.”
Ego joins nearby Monte Carlo on the list of Heswall restaurants that have come and gone and owners Ego Restaurants are left with 14 sites including one in Liverpool.
The company has wasted no time putting the property on the market. The advert draws attention to the proximity of other restaurants, a turn-on if you believe footfall and overspill will help power your business; a turn-off if you worry that the competition will strangle you at birth. It even mentions the now defunct Monte Carlo, which can hardly be described as encouraging.
In recent years Heswall has witnessed remarkable expansion of the restaurant business and many people have wondered how so many establishments can be sustained. Perhaps the demise of Ego and Monte Carlo is a sign that the bubble is bursting.
Whatever your opinion of Brexit versus Remain many of us are likely to enter a period of caution as we wait to see what the future has in store. The weak pound has pushed up the costs of imported food, a particular liability if menus present foreign dishes.
Factors like these are going to make trading conditions a little tougher and competition more intense. The likely result is more casualties.
It is often said of local amenities, “Use them or lose them.” This can be difficult when there are so many to choose from.
News of Ego’s closure also triggered debate amongst our readers about Wirral Council’s proposals to create more Pay and Display spaces in the town and increase charges on existing car parking areas. Despite the Council’s urgent need to raise revenue many readers argue that the price of parking can only mean more bad news for local business.
';
