Downey, who launched the Wood Green site just 12 weeks ago, has been vocal on social media about the issues the street food and bar concept has been facing with Haringey Council since launching at the Olympia Industrial Estate.
Street Feast’s parent company, London Union, invested a reported £450,000 in the planning of the building of the site, aiming to create a lively community hub. Downey says that the way the council has operated as “cost [the business] heavily”.
“Haringey Council tried very hard to stop us from opening and continue to be deliberately difficult,” says Downey.
“We have no idea why but there seems to have been a concerted effort by Haringey planning, EHO and building control to obstruct our opening. We ploughed on past this and opened anyway (using TENs) but it’s not worth the hassle and we can take our show elsewhere.”
In a series of tweets, Downey says that the company had received support from the Haringey ReGen generation team, but that it was not sufficient to keep the project running.
“In 21 years of opening over 35 venues in five countries, I’ve never had to close a site like this,” says the entrepreneur.
“Borough residents deserve better.”
London Union is run by Jonathan Downey and Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby. Its backers include Nigella Lawson, Gary Lineker and Giles Coren.
Having acquired Street Feast in 2015, it now operates Street Feast sites at Dinerama in Shoreditch; Giant Robot in Canary Wharf; Hawker House in Canada Water; Public in Woolwich; and Model Market in Lewisham.