Four months into 2025 and it's already been a challenging start to the year for many in hospitality across Northern Ireland as cafes, bars and restaurants continue to battle with the cost of living crisis.
Since the pandemic, the hospitality industry has been crippled and it's expected to be yet another difficult few months ahead for restaurant owners in every town and city in the region.
In Bangor, the start of the year has already seen the closure of several popular venues including Joxer, which expanded into the city in 2022 and is known for its specialty coffee, breakfast, brunch, lunch and three late evenings a week.
But in January, the business said that the time had come to close its doors on Holborn Avenue but trading would continue in its other two locations in Hillsborough and Holywood.
Also in January, The Goat's Toe on Main Street, which started trading in the Co Down city back in 2012, made the decision to cease operations in 2025. As one of Bangor’s most popular bars and entertainment venues, it was a cornerstone of the city's nightlife and a firm favourite amongst locals and visitors alike.
In February, Shirley & Ted’s Takeaway closed after only eight months of trading, citing poor business conditions and the "current climate" as key reasons for shutting its doors
The closures come amidst an increasingly difficult trading environment for hospitality, coupled with rising costs and the challenge of maintaining footfall in city and town centres.
But while some businesses in the seaside city have been closing their doors recently, some other new establishments have been opening up and bringing with them a fresh wave of optimism.
The latest additions include The Chippery, which launched last week on Main Street in the space previously occupied by The Captain’s Table. There’s another new flavour sensation in town with Waka Express, the fast-growing Chinese food brand with a big following in Belfast, which officially opened its doors on Groomsport Road in late March.
And back in January, one local hospitality business that's bucking the trend, marked one year since opening its doors.
Ginger + berry café opened on Bangor's High Street on January 8 2024 - the brainchild of best friends and enthusiastic proprietors, Lucy Bailie and Evie Reynolds. Their journey to this momentous milestone was fuelled by a shared passion for fabulous food, speciality coffee and great conversations.
The pair first met in Abbey Primary School in Newtownards and have been friends for over 20 years. With many past years of experience working in hospitality - which included stints in Mauds Newtownards, run by Evie's mum and Bangor's Jamaica Inn - owning their own establishment had always been their dream, and last year they made it happen.
When the chance came up to take on the former Jazzberry café premises, it seemed like an opportunity not to be missed to make that dream a reality. Fast-forward 14 months and they say they've had a better year than they could have ever imagined.
From sell-out themed evenings to unique events, Lucy and Evie worked hard to make the cafe not just a place to eat and drink but a real hub for connection and creativity in Bangor.
They are also on a mission to highlight that Bangor is still very much open for business with lots of exciting events in the pipeline to give the city a much needed boost.
Reflecting on the past year, Evie said: "It has been an absolute whirlwind crazy year - with lots of ups and downs. Opening a new business in January was always a bit of a risk but it has 100% paid off.
"Because winter is generally a bit quieter for hospitality, the fact that we were new carried us through those quieter months and then from March or April last year everything just went really crazy, which was great! We started out with just us two and now we've got eight other amazing staff.”
Lucy added: "When people come in here, they feel like they know us and the staff. We’ve really got to know our customers and even their coffee orders. Because it's quite a small place, people often chat across the tables and I think everybody feels like they're kind of part of something.
"We're so grateful to have so many regular customers - I think it's because we really try to keep our menu simple with local ingredients and put a big focus on great quality coffee."
Evie said: "We absolutely love hosting events and using our space in different ways other than day-to-day cafe life. Our themed events are proving to be a great success. We’ve done 3-course Moroccan, Greek, Mexican and Italian BYOB nights so far. We’ve got Thai, Spanish, Asian Streetfood and more coming this year too.
“In the autumn, we hosted a fun Doggy Afternoon Tea where we partnered with artist Hannah Hewitt from Doggy Doodles who was doing live sketches of the dogs while guests enjoyed their afternoon tea platters. It was a great afternoon for both the owners and their beloved pups!
"We’ve also hosted other events like Sketch&Sip where we teamed up with an artist for an evening of relaxed socialising and guided creativity!
"We're currently discussing a collaboration with a fab local yoga teacher about running wellness mornings that include yoga in the park and then a healthy breakfast. Later in the year we're looking at seasonal events like wreath making and other workshops.”
Lucy added: "Late Night Art Bangor has recently taken off from the end of February, it’s been amazing for the city - it comes alive with art and creativity on the last Thursday of every month. Last month, seven talented emerging artists transformed our space into a vibrant gallery. We love seeing things going on, especially in the evenings around Bangor - it gives businesses and residents a real boost."
Despite the economic struggles, the girls are optimistic about the city's future and are working with others to help turn Bangor's fortunes around.
"Recently there have been a couple of meetings with councillors, the chamber of trade and different stakeholder groups from Bangor to see what else we can collectively do to revive the town centre and bring everyone together,” Lucy explained.
"Something we would love to see is all the food businesses come together to do some sort of food tour or festival that everybody can get involved in. We want to get that message across that Bangor is still very much open for business. Sometimes it feels like people rule Bangor out but there are many businesses here and working hard every day that need support"
Evie added: "Bangor is full of exciting, positive changes, and it's important to highlight the incredible things happening here. The town has evolved into a destination for fantastic food, great coffee, and unique experiences.
"While it's always tough to see businesses close, there are so many hard working independent spots that are thriving. We've stayed focused, persevered, and it's paid off—and we know we're not alone in that. The more we support what's here, the busier and more vibrant Bangor will become!"
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
