The Lion’s Inn, a popular curry house on Barker Butts Lane in Coundon, is to close after eight years, with its owner saying the pandemic’s legacy and the cost of living crisis have fundamentally altered how people spend on eating out.
A community venue shaped by upheaval
Trading from a 100-year-old building that once housed The Cedars pub, the restaurant opened in 2018 and quickly built a loyal following. But business conditions changed sharply soon after. The owner, Shakib, told Coventry Live that the arrival of Covid restrictions and the shift in customer behaviour that followed eroded the model the business relied upon.
“We opened in 2018, did really well initially. But there were many challenges to follow, those mainly out of our hands. Covid essentially killed our business. Since the pandemic we haven’t seen many diners – people eat out less and have more takeaways as they are cost effective.”
In a frank assessment of the pressures facing hospitality, he also pointed to wider geopolitical and economic turbulence pushing up running costs and pinching household budgets. As energy, food and other essentials rose in price, the restaurant saw weekday custom thin out while weekend demand alone could not sustain a large site.
“The cost of living crisis hasn’t helped. Again, some people eat out less and have takeaways as they are cheaper to combine with supermarket-bought drinks. The wars in Ukraine and Iran and rise of oil prices and basic consumer needs, has meant people have less disposable income.”
Scaling back could not stem the tide
The operator sought to adapt the business as trading conditions tightened, including reducing capacity after the pandemic and keeping menu prices keen. However, the sums no longer added up for a building of this size and age without significant new investment, the owner said.
| Period | Seating capacity |
|---|---|
| At opening (2018) | 200 covers |
| Post‑Covid downsizing | 120 covers |
Even with a smaller dining room, attracting enough weekday trade proved challenging. The building now requires renovation, and the business could not justify further expenditure given current demand and input costs.
What this means for Coundon
The closure removes a sizeable dining venue from the Coundon high street, part of a hospitality ecosystem that spans pubs, takeaways and independent restaurants. For residents, it is another sign of how post‑pandemic habits and tight household finances are reshaping local centres, with more meals ordered in and fewer sit‑down bookings midweek.
- Owner cites a lasting shift towards takeaways and fewer dine‑in visits since Covid.
- Operating costs – from energy to ingredients – have climbed, squeezing margins.
- A large, ageing building now needs investment the business cannot justify.
While the decision is a private commercial one, the story echoes concerns regularly heard across Coventry’s hospitality sector: even well‑reviewed venues can struggle when demand concentrates at weekends and overheads are volatile. In neighbourhoods like Coundon, large-format dining rooms that once benefited from group bookings and family occasions have had to weigh whether to refurbish, reduce footprint or close altogether.
Customers and the wider picture
The Lion’s Inn built a reputation among locals for its expansive dining space and South Asian menu. Its departure underscores how consumer behaviour – combining takeaway food with supermarket drinks at home – has become entrenched. For city decision‑makers and business groups, the case highlights the importance of footfall, energy efficiency in older premises, and the resilience of high streets where evening trade can make or break a venue.
No timeline beyond confirmation of closure has been given in the information available. There has been no public statement on future uses for the building. What is clear, however, is that without sustained weekday custom and relief from rising costs, larger restaurants remain exposed – even when they trim capacity and keep prices modest in an effort to retain regulars.
As the hospitality landscape continues to shift, Coundon loses a recognisable fixture. For now, the lights at the former Cedars pub will dim again, a reminder of how the pandemic’s aftershocks are still being felt by independent operators across Coventry.
