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The Louis closes

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Amoore

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The Louis closes

PostFri Feb 17, 2017 12:00 pm

Shock as much-loved Cardiff restaurant The Louis closes

A Cardiff restaurant that has been trading for more than 60 years has closed overnight.

Customers were shocked to find that The Louis, in Cardiff city centre, had closed with immediate effect.

The owners said that it had had to close after the lease expired.

Staff were reportedly called last night to be told the news and a sign on the St Mary Street restaurant said today: "It is with regret that we have to advise our customers that following the expiry of the lease that The Louis has had to close.

"We take the opportunity of thanking our customers for their past support and wish them the best of good fortune in the future."

The restaurant, which is famed for its green canopy sign with gold writing, has been owned by the Italian Carpanini family and opened its doors for the first time 63 years ago in 1954.

Customers turning up on Thursday morning couldn't believe that it had closed.

The restaurant served traditional food and had a loyal following of customers.

Gill White, 78, and Marion Carpenter, 79, had been coming to The Louis for the past 15 years.

Mrs White travels down from Treherbert in the Rhondda to meet sister-in-law Marion every month.

The first they had heard of the closure was when they read the sign outside.

Mrs White said: "I've travelled down from Treherbert to come here and meet Marion. It's very, very sad to see it has closed.

"It's a very popular place.

"Some of our friends meet here all the time – for as long as it has been open in Cardiff," she added.

Chris Stuart had also planned to meet his brother at the restaurant when he spotted the sign.

The 68-year-old said: "I've been coming here for more than 40 years but some of my friends from church have been coming here since it opened.

"It's terrible to hear of the closure – I meet my brother here for coffee all the time. We always say: 'Oh, we'll meet at The Louis'.

"It's an institution."

Another 76-year-old lady who was due to meet friends at the restaurant said: "My friend rang me and said 'You're not going to like what I'm about to tell you'.

"I just had to come over and see for myself.

"I've been coming here for more than 30 years and I used to come here with both my husband and my mother before they died.

"I can't believe it – I feel quite upset and I know hundreds of other people will feel the same."

A local businessman said he was also shocked by news of the closure.

He said: "I was quite friendly with the owners and spoke to them recently. They gave no indication that they were going to close.

"It is very sad to see somewhere that has been around for so long go. It is a real Cardiff institution."

Adrian Field, executive director of Cardiff BID, said: “It is always sad when a landmark business closes. The Louis has been part of the fibre of the city for many generations and will be missed by many.”

The restaurant owners have been contacted for comment.

It is not the first Cardiff establishment to close because of the cost of trading in a big city centre location.

Last month homeware department store Rossiters announced it was closing its Cardiff store.

They said: "Our lease will come to an end in April and we have taken the excruciatingly hard decision not to renew it.

"Since we opened our doors in early 2007 retail has undergone something of a revolution and very sadly we can no longer afford to trade in this big city centre location."


I think the greatest shock perhaps is that it has lasted this long unchanged. It very much attracted a "Littlewoods Cafe" clientele which is now generally catered for by Wetherspoon.

It begs the question, is their sister restaurant Pillars going to go the same way? I can't say I was a big fan of The Louis as I'd had two pretty bad experiences there, but I appreciate the nostalgia value of feeling like you've gone 40 years into the past as you walk through the doors. I get why it and Pillars are popular with their customers.
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RandomComment

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Re: The Louis closes

PostFri Feb 17, 2017 12:46 pm

I didn't really go to the Louis much - but I did / still do go to Pillars sometimes. Pillars in particular has a certain timelessness about it. I'd be sad to see that go, and I can't imagine anyone else taking on such a unit, so it would just lay empty.
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Simon__200

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Re: The Louis closes

PostFri Feb 17, 2017 4:53 pm

Pretty low not even telling the staff that they were closing. Pretty difficult to have any sympathy with the owners. It seems that much of that customer loyalty was pretty misplaced.
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Amoore

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Re: The Louis closes

PostFri Feb 17, 2017 6:20 pm

The reason of "end of lease" doesn't add up with the sudden closure.

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