Popular Sale pub The Bridge closes due to “difficult times”
The Bridge pub and restaurant has closed with immediate effect.
The Bridge Pub
In an emotional post shared on social media, The Bridge owners Lisa Kettle and Danielle Condron announced the closure:
“It is with great sadness we have had to close both The Bridge & No 1 today. We would like to thank you all for your amazing support over the last 6 years. This has been a very hard decision during these difficult times. We’d like to express our heartfelt thanks to our amazing customers, and the team that has made everything possible.
Lots of love, Lisa and Danni xx”
The news has been met by locals with surprise and sadness, with many hundreds of comments left on the announcement post. A number of commentators are surprised to hear about a full closure, as The Bridge was supposedly closed for just a couple of days of “renovation”.
What does this closure mean for Sale?
Lisa and Danni took over The Bridge six years ago and in that time, rejuvenated it into a bustling, welcoming venue for food and drink. Its closure is sure to be a big loss for the town.
Much of the local surprise centres around the fact that The Bridge was usually busy – if well-liked establishments are closing their doors, how will less-favoured places survive?
The Bridge’s closure in Sale comes after a number of similar announcements, from tapas restaurant El Boliche and Mustard Diner on Northenden Road to this week’s announcement from Sale’s longest-running cupcake bakery Jellytots & Dollymixtures, which will close this weekend after 13 years on Cross Street.
The hospitality industry not only continues to feel the effects of extended lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, but it was reported in late 2022 that more than one pub a day closed its doors as rocketing energy bills and staffing pressures forced businesses to shut for the final time.
Many local business owners are in a similar position and are looking to the government for support, but with little (and often no) response.
An announcement like this always damages community morale – we want local businesses to succeed and when they don’t, it can be devastating and lead people to wonder what will happen to the town in the coming months and years.
We don’t have the one size fits all solution for how you can help (we wish we did!), but we’ll continue to beat the drum of supporting local businesses as much as possible.
Shop local. Eat local. Drink local.
Are you with us?
UPDTATE 6 April 2023: The Bridge Inn has officially (re)opened, having been taken in-house by brewery JW Lees.
