A MICHELIN-starred chef and BBC Great British Menu star has warned his beloved restaurant has just six months to go if it continues as it is.
Kray Treadwell, who won the Michelin Young Chef of the Year in 2021 and owns 670 Grams in Digbeth, Birmingham opened up on the brutal reality of running his acclaimed restaurant.
The biggest challenge the chef is facing is maintaining consistency[/caption]
Despite its glowing reviews and high-profile accolades, he says keeping the restaurant afloat has become a constant challenge.
In a candid social media post, Treadwell admitted that “the next few months is looking very bleak for the restaurant,” and that consistent custom has been increasingly difficult to maintain.
“We are not seeing the same amount of guests coming into and booking the restaurant.
“This is very concerning for the future of 670 Grams and hoping we can turn it around, but this can only happen from bums on seats and drinks in glasses,” Treadwell wrote.
670 Grams offers a modern and inventive dining experience with a focus on bold, seasonal flavours.
The menu features dishes like The Brummie Welcome, a unique combo of soup and cake, and BBQ Hispi with togarashi, smoked butter, and capers.
Despite having some money in the bank, Treadwell is realistic about the future. “We’re not completely in the s***, we’ve got money in the bank, but I don’t want to put my pride above everything else,” he said.
“I can stay afloat for the next six months and shut with no money left or I can look at it and take the money and shut it.
“There’s no point in just having a business to simply stay afloat all the time, it’s too hard. I’d rather just get a job”, he shared.
Treadwell, who opened 670 Grams in 2020, had high hopes for the restaurant, especially after securing the prestigious Michelin recognition in 2021.
However, four years later, he’s facing what he describes as a “bleak” future for his business.”
A dad of three, Treadwell is open about the financial pressures and the emotional toll of running a restaurant in today’s unpredictable climate.
The biggest challenge, according to Treadwell, is maintaining consistency.
“We only have to do a certain amount of covers a week to survive, but getting the spread right is hard.
“This Saturday we’ve got 18 people for lunch and 12 for dinner, which is good, but then on Friday, no one has booked for lunch and there’s only six for dinner,” he said.
The uneven flow of bookings makes it difficult to ensure steady revenue, and it also complicates staffing.
“You can’t just say to your staff, ‘you’re only working Saturdays…“you’ve got to keep them on because what if it picks up?”’” he explains.
Treadwell also revealed the emotional toll the constant uncertainty takes on him.
“It becomes so depressing. It’s a churn. I’m surviving, but surviving for what?”
Despite offering reasonably priced menus, with a seven-course option starting at £50 per person, Treadwell believes that price isn’t the issue.
“We’re not that expensive. I appreciate everyone who pays, but I pay £100 a month for Sky TV. Two people can eat here for that.”
For Treadwell, the situation is clear: if people want 670 Grams to continue, they need to show up.
“This restaurant isn’t for me, it’s for everybody else,” he says. “If they don’t want it, it’ll go.”
What is happening to the hospitality industry?
By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter
Many Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans
The uneven flow of bookings makes it difficult to ensure steady revenue, and it also complicates staffing[/caption]
