God, I hate writing these stories.
But here we are again – another month, another wave of "permanently closed" signs slapped across restaurant windows. July 2025 is shaping up to be particularly brutal for the dining scene, and honestly? Some of these closures genuinely surprised me. We're talking about places that felt untouchable just a few years ago.
The restaurant industry is getting absolutely hammered right now. Energy bills that would make your mortgage payment look reasonable, wholesale costs through the roof, and don't even get me started on the tax situation. It's like watching a slow-motion car crash, except the cars are filled with really good food.
Ping Pong's Final Bow (And That Pun Hurt to Write)
Twenty years. That's how long Ping Pong lasted before throwing in the towel this month. The Asian chain that basically made dim sum accessible to people who couldn't pronounce half the menu items just... stopped.
Kurt Zdesar launched this thing back in 2005, and within four years they had 13 locations. At their peak, 12 restaurants across London were serving up those little steamed parcels of joy. Then came their Instagram farewell – because apparently even restaurant closures need social media announcements now.
"It's a wrap. After 20 unforgettable years, all Ping Pong locations are now permanently closed," they posted. The whole message had this weird mix of pride and defeat that made me feel genuinely sad for everyone involved.
They thanked customers for "dim sum dates, happy hours, bottomless brunches, and just-because catch-ups." Then ended with "It's been sum-thing truly special." Look, I appreciate the effort, but puns in a closure announcement? That's either brave or completely tone-deaf.
When Fine Dining Dies: The Angel's Last Flight
The Angel of Dartmouth shut its doors on July 6th, and this one actually stung.
Four decades. This place had been serving modern British cuisine on the harbour-front for forty years, headed by a former MasterChef contestant who clearly knew what they were doing. But "difficult trading conditions" and "changing diner tastes" – corporate speak for "people stopped coming" – finally caught up with them.
Their farewell statement was pure class, though. They talked about Joyce Molyneux, the "visionary founder" who put The Angel "on the national food map." There's something heartbreaking about watching a place with that kind of legacy just... end. Like losing a piece of culinary history because not enough people wanted to pay for properly prepared local produce.
The statement called it "a privilege" to be custodians of such a historic name. That's the kind of respect you don't see often anymore.
Croma's Manchester Meltdown
Croma's Chorlton location is closing July 28th, and they're trying to make it a party.
This Italian spot opened in 2005 (sensing a pattern here?) and even got a fancy revamp in 2023 with a conservatory extension and outdoor patio. They do solid pizzas, decent Tandoori chicken, and apparently their crab pappardelle was worth the trip. Was.
After the Chorlton closure, Croma will have exactly one restaurant left. One. That's not a chain anymore – that's just a restaurant with delusions of grandeur.
Their goodbye message was almost aggressively cheerful: "Join us one last time and come down to raise a glass and share a slice of fabulous Pizza as we celebrate two decades of incredible memories." The forced enthusiasm made me wince a little. Nobody wants to celebrate the death of their local pizza joint.
The Numbers Don't Lie (Unfortunately)
Here's the thing that keeps me up at night: this isn't just bad luck.
A consultancy called Begbies Traynor – and yes, that sounds like a law firm that handles messy divorces – released a "red flag" report recently. More than 30% of bars and restaurants are in "critical" financial distress. Thirty percent! That's not a rough patch, that's an industry-wide crisis.
The perfect storm hit after the pandemic: higher cost of living means people eat out less, businesses are still recovering from lockdowns, and then April brought employer National Insurance hikes plus minimum wage increases. It's like getting punched while you're already down.
PEACH, a restaurant group from East Hertfordshire, just announced immediate closure of both locations after five years. Even celebrity chefs are bailing – and these are people with TV shows and cookbook deals.
I keep thinking about all the servers, kitchen staff, and managers who showed up to work one day and found out they were unemployed. The industry that employs millions of people is contracting faster than anyone wants to admit.
Maybe we'll look back at July 2025 as the month everything changed. Or maybe this is just another chapter in the slow decline of dining out as we knew it.
Either way, I'm definitely making reservations at my favorite spots while I still can.
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