29/01/2026
EDIT 😄😃😀
I’m sure you’ve all seen the news flashes 🚨
We have been heard !!!
A pause on the rates revaluation has been announced 🎬
We now await further updates and with support of Hospitality Ulster let’s hope they make it up to us with a fairer rates calculation for hospitality. We will live another day 🙏🏼🙌🏻🥳
💥 This Isn’t Right And You Should Know About It 💥
🚨+140% increase (Reval 2026)🚨
nearly TRIPLE our current rates valuation for No7 Duke Street 😔
The busier we are, the harder we work but profit doesn’t grow the way many assume it should.
The cost of running a hospitality business has been rising uncontrollably. Confidence is at an all time low for the future of our industry. Making any kind of profit to justify the long hours, extremely hard work and effort seems now unreachable. I have no doubt that every public house, cafe, restaurant or hotel will say the same.
It has taken a week to bring myself to write this post because of the frustration this shocking valuation has caused. Just when hospitality desperately needed some kind of financial relief these emails landed last Thursday 🤦♀️
Over the past year or so, all our bills have increased steeply, putting pressure on our operations. It’s now common knowledge that hospitality venues everywhere are struggling to make ends meet.
Many have already closed their doors against their will. Many will follow. 😔
That is why we need to stand up for what is right because we cannot increase prices to meet these hikes or we won’t have any customers. 😢
This is extortionate, unfair, and threatens to wipe out already fine margins. TRIPLING a bill like this is simply unlawful and puts small businesses like ours in an impossible position to try and navigate.
We are outraged, and we will not back down. We plan to appeal this charge and fight for fairness, for our staff, our customers, our business, & our community.
The future of having nice places to meet up all depend on fast decisions from those with control to rectify what must be huge mistakes with the calculators.
If they leave it too late…it will be too late.
Through these times of uncertainty we will never compromise quality. Our standards and care for our customers remain non-negotiable.
We want and need our local community to see the reality.
Friends and local community groups please share, comment, and tag local officials, multiple voices are needed for government to pay attention. Our community needs to speak in numbers to save our venues.
We are determined, focused and ready to stand up against this unjust charge. 💪🏼
Thanks for reading Caroline, David and team at No7 Duke Street
