Doors stay shut at Silver Dolphin

Employees at the Silver Dolphin, a buffet-style restaurant inside Wests Cardiff, were told on Friday morning the business would close on Sunday but would not be opening on Monday. 

The restaurant has been a family favourite at Cardiff for more than 20 years and until recently employed about nine kitchen staff and 10 waiting staff. 

Wests Group chief executive Philip Gardner said the restaurant had closed ‘‘as they are in breach of their lease conditions’’. He said due to possible legal action, not involving Wests Group, he would have no further comment. 

The Newcastle Herald understands the restaurant changed hands about six months ago, a move which gave Wests Group the option not to renew the restaurant’s lease. 

Wests Group gave the new owner until November 7 to be out, but then extended that period until Monday as further negotiations took place. 

The new owner had hoped to salvage the situation, and is believed to have  told staff of the closure only on Friday after a last-ditch attempt to get an extension was denied. 

Silver Dolphin supervisor Sam told the Herald the majority, if not all, of the staff were on casual contracts. 

Sam said she had worked at the restaurant for more than nine years. 

‘‘We want to apologise to our customers, we feel so guilty that we haven’t been able to do anything for them,’’ she said.

‘‘The staff will miss all our customers, half our customers have been coming here since day one.

‘‘They will turn up next week and there will be nothing left.’’

Sam said the restaurant was still popular and business had picked up since the new owner took over. 

It was unclear on Sunday what Wests Group planned to do with the space or whether another restaurant would replace the Silver Dolphin.