Omagh venues make ‘difficult’ decision to remain closed

OMAGH’S nightlife has received a major blow as a number of the town’s most popular venues will not reopen ahead of Christmas.

The owners of Sallys of Omagh and Top of the Town, both on John Street, Bogan’s Bar and The Blind Cobbler have collectively made the ‘difficult decision’ to remain closed throughout December and will not reopen their doors tomorrow (Friday).

The venues are expected to reopen again in the New Year.

Licensed venues that serve food are allowed to reopen tomorrow after the eight-week closure of the North’s hospitality sector, while nightclubs and wet pubs are not allowed to reopen yet, and no date for reopening has been identified.

Sallys has been operating a takeaway during the closure, and will continue to operate a ‘click and collect’ food menu throughout the coming weeks.

Announcing the news that Sallys and Top of the Town will not reopen to the public, management of the venues said, “The team at Sallys and Top of the Town have made the difficult decision to remain closed this December.

“This was an incredibly hard decision for us to make, but we feel the right one for us.

“We are aware of a number of bookings already made for our bistro, we would like to sincerely apologise to these customers and assure them we’re working on contacting everyone individually as well as offering them a priority booking when we reopen in 2021.

“We will be continuing our click and collect service throughout December.

“The support you have shown since we started the service in October has blown us away and we are truly grateful. We look forward to 2021 when we can reopen and provide everyone with a night out free from restrictions.

“Until then, we would like to wish all our staff and customers a safe and peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year.”

A spokesperson from The Blind Cobbler said, “We would like to take a united approach with local hospitality businesses who have made this difficult decision to not reopen over the festive period.

“From day one of this pandemic, the health and safety of our staff and our customers are paramount and will always be at the forefront of our priorities. We look forward to welcoming you back in the New Year.”