Well, this is awkward.
I had dinner plans at The Botanist in Birmingham city centre next week. Had being the operative word here, because apparently the place just... disappeared. Like, one day it's there serving their signature hanging kebabs (which, let's be honest, always felt a bit gimmicky but tasted amazing), and the next day it's gone. Poof. Ten years of cocktails and Sunday roasts down the drain.
The New World Trading Company dropped this bombshell without much fanfare, calling it a "difficult decision" - which is corporate speak for "we're hemorrhaging money and need to cut our losses." This is the fourth Botanist location to get the axe this year, following closures in Coventry, Sheffield, and Chester back in January. At this rate, I'm starting to wonder if they're playing restaurant roulette.
When Your Booking Gets Cancelled Forever
The really brutal part? People found out their favorite spot was closing when their reservations got cancelled. One poor soul on social media wrote: "I had a booking and they just cancelled as they are permanently closing." Imagine getting that text. Your Friday night plans don't just get moved - they get obliterated.
The Temple Street location had been pulling decent numbers too. A 4.3 out of 5 stars on Google from nearly 3,700 reviews isn't exactly failure territory. Someone literally posted a glowing review just two weeks ago gushing about the "sophistication, dedication, decor, vibrancy, atmosphere and everything about this restaurant!"
That person probably feels pretty stupid right now.
The Domino Effect Nobody Saw Coming
Here's what really gets me - this isn't just about one restaurant closing. NWTC has been playing musical chairs with their locations since October 2024, when they agreed to a Company Voluntary Arrangement. That's fancy legal terminology for "we're restructuring because we're in deep trouble but don't want to go completely under."
They're supposedly refocusing on the Botanist brand, which makes the Birmingham closure even more confusing. If you're doubling down on a concept, why are you shutting down profitable-looking locations? (Though I guess 4.3 stars doesn't necessarily translate to black ink on the balance sheet.)
The company still operates 24 Botanist sites, plus their other brands like Oast House and Trading House. They even opened a new Bournemouth location in May. So it's not like they're completely throwing in the towel.
Welcome to Restaurant Apocalypse 2025
The Birmingham closure is just the latest casualty in what feels like a restaurant industry meltdown. Energy bills that make your eyes water, wholesale costs through the roof, and tax hikes that would make a pirate blush. It's like someone designed the perfect storm to kill hospitality businesses.
Covid started the bleeding back in 2020, then inflation twisted the knife, and now the cost-of-living crisis is basically doing victory laps around the corpses of formerly successful restaurants.
At least Birmingham folks still have the Gas Street Basin location to drown their sorrows in overpriced cocktails. Though honestly, after watching four locations disappear in one year, I'd probably make my reservations with a backup plan.
RIP Temple Street Botanist. You served a good hanging kebab while it lasted.
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