The owner of Tomahawk Steakhouse claims “zero footfall”, security issues, and lack of support contributed to the closure of its Darlington venue.
The popular chain made the shock announcement last week that it had closed the doors to its restaurant at the town’s DL1 leisure complex.
No reason was given for the closure at the time, with the restaurant pointing customers to nearby venues such as Yarm, Potto, and Acklam.
However, speaking to The Northern Echo this week, owner Howard Eggleston revealed that the decision was made to move on from DL1 due to a combination of factors.
He claimed that low footfall was partly behind the decision, saying that “nobody was ever mooching past” the restaurant, which was first announced in 2019.
Mr Eggleston also criticised the owner of the complex, claiming: “The people that run the site have no intention of helping to do anything.
“You pay a huge service charge and get nothing back from it.”
He also alleged that the security “became non-existent” at the site - and argued the venues were subject to a range of anti-social behaviour, including property being “smashed up.”
“We just thought that it would be better to pull out,” he said. “That just wasn’t how we wanted to portray our brand.”
Despite this, he admitted that it is “not just down to the complex”, touching on the tricky climate facing businesses across the country amid the cost of living crisis.
“In the 20 sites that we have there are always going to be one or two that underperform”, he said.
Despite the closure, DL1 remains home to a string of popular venues, including a Nandos, VUE Cinema, Subway, Hungry Horse pub The Woollen Mill, and Estabulo.
However, it has seen a number of chains vacate in recent years, including Italian restaurant Prezzo, The Chinese Buffet, and coffee shop Mango Bean, the latter of which also raised concerns about footfall when it closed in 2020.
‘We love Darlington’
The closure came as a shock to many as Tomahawk continues to grow across the country, with restaurants in Harrogate and Sunderland set to open soon.
The restaurant - known for serving a range of fillet, rump, and sirloin steaks - was highly praised online over the years for its "amazing food and brilliant cocktails".
However, the closure of the Darlington restaurant may not mark the end of the chain’s future in the town for good.
Mr Eggleston said: “We love Darlington, and the town is great. We just got forgotten about.
"We looked at better locations in the town but nothing came off - but we are always on the lookout.”
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A Darlington Borough Council spokesperson said: “The loss of any business is a shame, and Tomahawk is no different.
"DL1 remains an important part of the vibrant leisure offer in Darlington town centre.”
The Northern Echo has contacted DL1's representatives for comment but had not received a reply at the time of publication.
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