The Princes Quay venue had closed in July, within a year of receiving £750k of public grant money
A botanical-themed restaurant in Hull which closed down within a year of opening has now relaunched – promising customers a more affordable experience. Iron Lilies, the 200-seat eatery and bar in Princes Quay was first launched in summer 2024 but owners Tokyo Industries decided to shut it in July saying they had to “revisit the concept”.
Bosses at Tokyo Industries – which also owns the shopping centre – recently said the plan was to introduce a “fresher more affordable product” citing challenges caused by last year’s Budget including raises to the National Minimum Wage and Employer National Insurance contributions, and mistakes made in the concept and pricing of the restaurant itself which had seen a “steep decline in trade”.
The firm said the cost of running the restaurant had rocketed to £88,000 per year. And in a statement earlier this month Toyko Industries revealed Iron Lilies had cumulative trading losses of more than £536,000.
In October, the opposition Labour Group on Hull City Council called for an investigation into why the restaurant had been closed after Tokyo Industries received a £750,000 grant to support the opening of Iron Lilies. The business hit back calling it “political point scoring” and said the opening of the restaurant would have been impossible without the grant support, which came alongside a reported £1.9m private investment.
Tokyo bosses previously said they had “absolutely no intention of walking away” from Iron Lilies, saying the decision to close had “not been taken lightly” and promising to reopen in time for the Christmas shopping period. When setting out its intention to reopen, the firm said a new menu and direct access from the dockside would be coming to the venue.
Iron Lilies’ first opening brought new life to a unit which had stood empty for almost a decade. At its original launch, the owners said it set out to create an “inviting atmosphere and to transport guests into an ‘outside oasis’ featuring everything found in a floral garden.
New opening times have been posted for venue including from 4pm to 10pm on Monday and Tuesday; from 12noon to 10pm on Wednesday and Thursday; from 12noon to 12am on Friday and Saturday, and from 12noon to 10pm on Sunday.
Tokyo Industries runs 47 sites, including clubs, bars and restaurants, across the UK and seven sites internationally. Iron Lilies is situation on Level 2 of Princes Quay.