Popular Edinburgh cafe Roots ‘gutted’ to announce closure due to ‘rising food and energy costs’

A much-loved café in the heart of Edinburgh has announced it will not be re-opening due to “rising food and energy costs, staff shortages”.

Roots, a deli and sandwich bar on William Street, shut up shop nine months ago, but the owners were hoping to find a cheaper home in the city.

But the independent eaterie has now taken to social media to announce that they have not been able to find a new venue – and will now only be able to offer a delivery and collection service.

Roots, a deli and sandwich bar on William Street, shut up shop nine months ago, but the owners were hoping to find a cheaper home in the city. Photos: Roots

In a post on Facebook, Roots said: “It’s hard to believe it’s already been nine months since we closed our wee shop on William Street.

“While we’ve been growing our catering business, we always had an eye out for a new venue to open Roots #2, in the hope that the world would settle down, and life would start to get a little easier.

“However, we have decided that this is now not going to happen.

“The pressure on all hospitality businesses now is unimaginable: rising food and energy costs, staff shortages, reduced footfall due to hybrid working, reduced spend due to the cost-of-living crisis, and total burn-out after the hardest few years possible, all mean that it is simply unsustainable for so many businesses to continue trading, and just completely unviable for us to consider opening in a new location.

Roots had been looking to secure new premises since it closed on William Street nine months ago. Photos: Roots

Roots went on to thank its loyal customers – but said they wouldn’t feel comfortable asking for handouts.

The post continued: “We have been recommended to Crowdfund for a new venue, but we actually don’t feel this is appropriate: asking people for money at a time like this, to support a business that isn’t able to support itself simply doesn’t sit right with us.

“We’re so incredibly grateful for all the support we’ve received over the years, and continue to receive now, but we cannot and will not ask for handouts.

“For as long as it’s possible, we hope to continue to offer our outside catering services, as well as a weekly salad bar/Buddha bowl menu each Tues-Thurs, but this will be for delivery or collection from the Roots Catering Kitchen rather than from a new venue.

“We’re pretty gutted that we won’t have the lovely Roots space again. It was bloody hard work, but we did love it.”

The news of Roots’ closure comes just days after another popular Edinburgh cafe announced its demise – after around 25 years in the Capital.

Elephants & Bagels, which is situated on the corner of Nicolson Square, has been a huge favourite with students at nearby Edinburgh University as well as Fringe-goers for many years.

However, in a short post on Facebook last week, the cafe’s owners announced they have now ceased trading.

They wrote: “Elephants & Bagels is now permanently closed. We would like to thank you all for your custom over the years”.