Business: Popular Calderdale bar and restaurant to shut at the end of the month

The owners of Yakumama, on Rochdale Road, says the “emotional and financial input required to get it where it needs to be just isn’t in us right now”.

The last day for the bar and restaurant at The Old Co-Op building, will be January 29.

Yakumama started as a street food business in 2014, catering for weddings and trading at street food events up and down the country.

After a series of pop ups at The Old Co-op building, the owners were given the chance to rent the ground floor of the building and launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the venture, which opened in April 2019.

Yakumama’s owners have posted on social media: “With very heavy hearts, and weary heads, we are so sorry to say that Yakumama at The Old Co-op will be closing as of the end of January.

"It’s been a long old road to get us to this point but it’s for the best. It’s been a struggle financially and emotionally for some time now, due to all the reasons that everyone knows about.

"We’ve really dug our heels in, and worked hard to get over the hurdles we’ve faced, but this can only take us so far. The emotional and financial input required to get it where it needs to be just isn’t in us right now, and we need to prioritise our health and a more balanced life.

"Sometimes I think you have to leave something where it is, accept that it happened and was really good for a time, but that it’s better if it doesn’t continue, and that’s been an extremely hard thing to come to terms with.

"The atmosphere in that place can be so good it gives me goosebumps, and that could not be achieved without our ridiculously wonderful team, all of whom we love immensely, and are family now.

"And of course you lot, mostly familiar faces that we see on some occasions every weekend. The support and joy that has brought is immeasurable. We have felt welcomed since the very first day.

"Tod is an extremely special place.”