Edinburgh's Tower restaurant will not reopen
After 22 years of operations, Edinburgh's Tower restaurant will not reopen when lockdown eases due to social distancing restrictions making the business "uneconomic".
The restaurant is located on top of the National Museum of Scotland. Proprietor James Thomson said: "The Tower was the first rooftop restaurant in Edinburgh and quickly gained a worldwide reputation for great food and service, which has stayed with us down the years. Covid-19 presents us with some insurmountable difficulties and, with our lease coming to an end anyway, we've had to take the decision not to reopen."
Redundancy consultations have started with 37 members of staff.
On behalf of National Museums Scotland, director of NMS Enterprises Peter Williamson said: "We are saddened by the closing of the Tower restaurant after 22 enjoyable and successful years of working with James and his team.
"The hospitality sector has been hit very hard by Covid-19 and we now need to take stock and consider the long-term future of this space so that visitors and guests can continue to enjoy what remains one of the best views in Edinburgh."
Thomson also owns the Witchery and Prestonfield House hotels in Edinburgh. It is hoped both those businesses will be able to reopen on 15 July following final confirmation from the Scottish government.
