Social Studio in Derry closes after a year, citing soaring costs

A well-regarded restaurant in Derry has announced its closure after just 12 months of operation, attributing the decision to rising business costs.

Social Studio, situated on Bishop Street, shared the news through its social media channels, confirming it had officially ceased trading. In a heartfelt message, the team encouraged locals to support independent businesses and acknowledged the difficulty of the decision.

The restaurant, which offered a blend of fine dining and traditional comfort food, was owned by former Miss Ireland, Lauren McDonagh.

“This isn’t one of our usual posts but one that we unfortunately need to make,” the message began.

“Due to the rising costs of goods, electric, wages etc, Social Studio will unfortunately be closing. This is not a decision that was made lightly, in fact quite the opposite. We have put our hearts and souls into Social Studio for the past year and l’ve crossed paths with many wonderful people.”

Having opened its doors last year, the business reflected that the timing hadn’t been right to make the venture sustainable.

“I want to thank everyone that came to visit and our wonderful staff but for me right now, it just wasn’t the right timing unfortunately. I’ve had to put things into perspective and this resulted in coming to the conclusion of closing Social Studio,” the post continued.

“Hospitality is a tough industry, one that I can say l’ve tried, but now that this book is closed, I want to urge anyone to support local and small businesses where and when possible. It might not be a big deal to you but it’s a game changer for them.”

Customers who hold gift vouchers have been asked to contact the restaurant at info@socialstudiorestaurant.com for further information.