A POPULAR Barrow restaurant has closed its doors for the final time.

Owners of The Barrow Arms Restaurant & Bar based on Cavendish Street announced in March that the site will be shutting down.

Originally the closing date was set for August, weeks later, the last day of trading was moved forward to May 1.

In a statement on social media, the Barrow Arms thanked customers for their support: "Dear customers,

"We are now officially closed. We would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us throughout the last few years. What a journey it's been!

READ MORE: Popular Barrow restaurant announces shock closure

"We are extremely grateful for all your goodbye messages, presents and lovely words. We will miss everyone and we hope you take care."

Speaking to The Mail last month, landlord Michael Ion said “We’ve had to close early to cover the costs.

“There’s no life in the town anymore so it’s better for us to close sooner rather than later.

“Food prices and electricity costs have gone up that we’re losing too much money."

Mr Ion said the business would ‘lose thousands’ if it were to stay open until its original closing date of August.

He said: “I could close today but we want to honour our bookings. Every day it is costing us too much money.

Mr Ion said all staff members at the Barrow Arms have managed to secure employment elsewhere.

READ MORE: Restaurants, bars and a football pitch - ambitious plans for derelict land development

He said there has been a ‘few enquiries’ to take over the eatery.

The Barrow Arms, which was previously known as a late-night boozer, rebranded as a swanky gastropub, when it reopened in June 2019.

The team all made the switch from the Cavendish Arms in Cartmel, where the new landlord and landlady Michael and Livia Ion worked as head chef and bartender.

The new management said they were trying to match other upmarket establishments in Barrow such as The Townhouse, Tailors Bar and the Odd Frog.

Despite surviving countless lockdowns and undergoing a kitchen renovation, Mr Ion told The Mail that the gastropub was ‘no longer profitable’.