Burger King is closing down its restaurant in Carmarthen, the company has confirmed.
The fast food chain has had a unit in Merlin’s Walk shopping centre, in the centre of town, for the past six years.
Opening on June 28, 2014, the 78-seater restaurant replaced JJB Sports, which closed down in 2012.
Burger King closed its sites across the country when the coronavirus lockdown came into force in March, and began re-opening at some locations for delivery and drive-thru only in May.
Restaurants have since begun re-opening for dine-in customers, but the one in Carmarthen has remained closed, with the shutters pulled down over the entrance.
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It’s understood that staff were told of the plans to close some time ago, and the company has now confirmed that it will “unfortunately not be re-opening”.
A spokeswoman for Burger King said: “The last few months have been incredibly difficult for both the hospitality industry and the UK high street.
"However, while there may be some changes and closures across our network, there will also be new openings reflecting changes in consumer behaviour, with a shift towards drive-in restaurants being one such example.”
The fast food chain has also confirmed that its restaurant at the St Elli shopping centre in Llanelli town centre has closed for good, while its drive-thru at Parc Trostre on the outskirts of town has re-opened.
But in Carmarthen, Burger King is the latest nationwide brand to exit the centre of town.
Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge all closed down in March, while nearby Monsoon and Accessorize are also currently empty. River Island will close its doors in less than two weeks’ time, and Fat Face will follow suit on September 5.
Both of those stores are located in St Catherine’s Walk, which opened at the location of the old Carmarthen Mart a decade ago.
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Elsewhere at the shopping centre, concern was raised about Frankie and Benny’s after its parent company, The Restaurant Group, announced in June that it would close 125 stores, but the company is yet to confirm a full list.
Debenhams, meanwhile, is one of the biggest shops in the area and was the flagship store in St Catherine’s Walk when it opened in 2010. Despite persistent rumours that the store is under threat - fuelled further by the fact that Debenhams has appointed administrators twice in one year - it is understood there are no plans to shut down the Carmarthen shop.
A spokesman for the company said: “Debenhams is trading strongly, with 124 stores re-opened and a healthy cash position.
"As a result, and as previously stated, the administrators of Debenhams Retail Ltd have initiated a process to assess ways for the business to exit its protective administration.
"The administrators have appointed advisors to help them assess the full range of possible outcomes which include the current owners retaining the business, potential new joint venture arrangements (with existing and potential new investors) or a sale to a third party.”
