BEWLEY’S CAFÉ ON Grafton Street in Dublin city centre is set to close permanently with the loss of 110 jobs.

Employees were informed of the decision earlier today.

The closure has been blamed on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the café to temporarily close in March, and high rent for the iconic building.

The news was first reported by the Irish Times this evening.

In a statement to TheJournal.ie, the operator of the cafe, Bewley’s Ltd, confirmed that management “has written to staff to inform them that it is with deep regret and great sadness that it is likely to be necessary to permanently close the café over the coming weeks”.

“The proposed closure would result in the loss of all jobs in the café. The management team will now enter into a period of consultation with the impacted employees,” the statement notes.

“We would like to sincerely thank all of the staff who work in the business for their loyalty and dedication which has made Bewley’s Café on Grafton Street a landmark, iconic and memorable place to visit.

“We would also like to thank our loyal customers over the decades,” it adds.

Bewley’s Ltd is owned by Paddy Campbell, and his son Cól Campbell is the cafe’s managing director.

The landmark café reopened in November 2017, after being closed for almost three years while being extensively refurbished.