South Belfast restaurant’s appeal for help to reopen amid rising costs and bills

The owner of a South Belfast restaurant is appealing for help to reopen amid rising costs and bills. Tzatziki restaurant on Botanic Avenue, which specialises in Greek food, has not been able to open its doors since January 1 due to high bills.

The owner, who wished to not be named, has lived in Northern Ireland for the past 12 years and is having to work night shifts in an attempt to cover rising bills, rent, and rates for her restaurant.

In a last attempt to try and reopen the doors of the popular spot, her friends told her to start a fundraising page to try and raise the £10,000 needed to keep it afloat. The owner said she is worried she will "lose everything" if the restaurant falls under.

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Speaking to Belfast Live, the single mum-of-three said she closed for three months to reduce costs, but is now struggling. She said: "I've been closed since January 1 to try and reduce costs, but rent is very high, I'm locked in to a five year lease so I'm stuck paying the high bills. I started the restaurant with all of my savings - I'm worried to lose everything, I'm trying everything I can to keep it going.

"The government make it very hard for small businesses to operate. Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I can't - I've put everything into my restaurant, I'm a single mum and have to look after my kids.

"I have just been working night shifts for the past three months just to cover the bills for the restaurant. It's hard to cover, for example, our gas bill was £15,000 for around nine months to a year. The bills have become very high, the gas and electric in particular."

During the anti-immigration riots in South Belfast last summer, Tzatziki was targeted, and the owner received support from politicians. However, since then, she said she has heard nothing from elected officials.

Speaking out against racism in society, she said she has lived here for 12 years, working and paying tax each day. She said: "Last year during the anti-immigration riots, my restaurant was attacked.

"Councillors, police, and MLAs told me to close the restaurant for them to hold a meeting inside. I lost a lot of money that day, and I never heard anything from them again.

"I have been in Belfast for 12 years, every day since I got here I have been volunteering and working. I volunteered at the SOS bus and Oxfam on Botanic when I first arrived, and have been working since I was able to.

"I am an immigration advisor and work with refugees, now because there are housing shortages I think people get frustrated and fill with hate, and put all immigrants in the same box. I have three kids, when I arrived we were living in temporary accommodation, I spent six years in a hostel with my kids when we got our papers.

"I worked, I never stopped working since I got here, and we lived in the hostel at the same time before getting a house. I have never taken benefits, I always work and pay taxes."

Looking to the future, the owner said she is planning to reopen the restaurant around Easter, but knows that the cost of living crisis is having a big impact on everyone.

"I'm a small restaurant, I don't want to make the prices very high for people who are struggling too. We do everything fresh, and things like meat have now become very expensive," she added.

"I'm going to reopen again around Easter, I've had people like chefs reaching out being very nice, saying they would like to help out when we reopen. We are a traditional Greek taverna, it's got a nice ambience especially during the summer when everybody can sit outside."

Speaking about the fundraising page to help reopen the restaurant, she said: "Everyone is struggling, life has become so expensive. I know people may not be able to donate, but I have to do everything I can.

"It's my friends who have pushed me to start the fundraising page, I don't like to ask, I feel like there are more important things people need to spend money on. But this is my last hope."

You can find out more and donate to the fundraiser for Tzatziki by clicking here.

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