If you live in Northern Ireland, you've probably noticed it too. Every other day there's a new post on Instagram: a favourite restaurant closing, a wee bar shutting its doors, an award winner from just two years ago suddenly gone.
So for episode 2 of The Zesty Mill Podcast, the Belfast business podcast, we tackled a bit of a downer: the wave of hospitality closures in Northern Ireland and what it means for all of us. This time there were three of us at the mic, with Morgan and Conor from The Spinners Mill Podcast Studio. And I'll be honest, this one was Morgan's show. She did an almighty amount of research. I mostly asked questions and nodded.
What is The Zesty Mill?
The Zesty Mill Podcast asks "What's the Craic" with small businesses in Belfast and Northern Ireland: the wins, the wobbles and everything behind the scenes.
It's a collaboration between us at Yellow Zest, a branding and digital marketing agency on the Newtownards Road, and The Spinners Mill, the DJ and podcast studio just down the same road in East Belfast.
Quick life update before we got stuck in. Conor now gets up at 5am every day (very philosophical about it). Morgan is learning to beatmatch on vinyl. And I'm juggling the agency, the podcast, two dogs, a husband and the East Belfast Business Meet Up. Very fulfilled. Slightly tired.
Why are so many hospitality businesses closing?
It isn't just brand new startups. We've watched well established, much loved businesses close, and it felt like it happened overnight, as if everyone packed up after Christmas.
Morgan has nearly 10 years in hospitality behind her, from hospital kitchens to Starbucks to events, so this one is close to her heart. She found BBC reporting showing hospitality jobs hit an all time high in summer 2025, then fell sharply in the final quarter. Traditionally one of the busiest times of the year!
Her reading: the cost of living. People still eat out, but they save it for birthdays and graduations, not the weekly date night or family dinner.
And it isn't bad marketing. These weren't hidden gems. They were well known names with loyal followings. When they can't make it, every business owner starts to wonder. (I'll admit it: I celebrated my birthday during COVID with a box of pastries from one of them. I'm still not over it.)
The chicken and chipsification of Northern Ireland
This was Morgan's big theory, and we love it. Look at who's moving in: Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Wingstop, with Wendy's down south and talk of Taco Bell. What do they all serve? Chicken.
There's a reason they're choosing us. According to Meaningful Vision (March 2024), the Republic of Ireland has 25.2 chain fast food outlets per 100,000 people and the UK has 28.8. Northern Ireland has just 20.7. Less competition, a population that loves its chicken and chips (hello, spice bag) and queues round the block at every opening. For American chains eyeing Europe, we're the perfect testing ground.
Meanwhile, small plates and wine pairings are a hard sell when nobody can justify £120 on a dinner.
Is it our taste buds?
Conor's point: Belfast is a small capital, and a smaller, less diverse population means new cuisines take longer to catch on. Coming from Brazil, where Japanese, German, African, Portuguese and Dutch influences all end up on the same plate, I found the lack of variety a real shock when I moved here. A small market makes it hard for niche food businesses to find enough customers. And we all lose out when they go.
The biggest challenge? Everything at once
Taste is only part of it. Business rates have shot up (some places reporting rises of 40% or more), National Insurance contributions went up, and Brexit cost the industry a big chunk of its workforce. Add a culture where hospitality is treated as a stopgap rather than a career, and finding and keeping staff gets very hard. In Brazil, I went back to a restaurant from my childhood and the same waiter was still there. Here, people hop from job to job.
Ryan's Bar on the Lisburn Road recently broke down exactly how little they make on a pint, and how a huge bin collection bill isn't covered by their rates. When prices go up, it's rarely greed. It's a business with its back against the wall.
"Where's Eat Out to Help Out for local businesses?"
Credit where it's due: Go Succeed and Vacant to Vibrant are doing brilliant work. But Morgan wants a scheme that sends people only to local, independent businesses. Last time round, KFC and Nando's got the discount too. They didn't need it.
Hot take time
Conor's: every pound spent in a local place stays here and makes the place nicer. Mine: we still need foreign investment, so it's a balance, but we should all think more about where our money goes. Morgan wants an all pickle restaurant (pickletinis, frickles, kimchi, the lot). Investors, form an orderly queue!
My actual hot take? Brazilian sushi is better than Japanese sushi. Nutella and strawberry. Caramelised banana. Cream cheese in absolutely everything. (Being Brazilian has nothing to do with it.) Northern Irish sushi, we decided, would be potato rice wrapped in batter and deep fried.
The Zesty Mill Bonus tip: show your numbers
Ryan's Bar did something clever. Instead of quietly raising prices, they showed customers the maths. Being open about your costs builds trust, and turns a price rise into a reason to support you. Your story is part of your brand, so tell it!
This episode's recommendations
Juliana: the book Dagger Mouth, a dystopian sci-fi romance. Six stars so far, and I haven't even finished it.
Conor: One Battle After Another, the Best Picture winner. Funny, original and beautifully shot.
Morgan: The Elements by Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane on vinyl, especially the track "Earth". Found via Tokyo Jazz Joints, a monthly jazz vinyl night at Rattlebag.
Are you ready for the hot seat?
If you're a business owner anywhere in Northern Ireland with a story to tell, we'd love to have you on The Zesty Mill Podcast. Listen to Episode 2 on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts, and give us a follow so you don't miss the next one!
And if you've recently had to close your doors: our hearts go out to you. Thank you for everything you gave to our economy and our wee country.
Catch you at the next one!
