Fallon & Byrne staff ‘found out this morning’ that the store was closed with immediate effect

Staff at Fallon & Byrne Rathmines told Lovin Dublin that they 'were only told this morning' that the loss-making store was closing.

Employees gathered at the shuttered store this afternoon and told Lovin Dublin that they had not been told the store would close on New Years' eve, as was reported elsewhere. In fact, according to the staff members, when they questioned why the fridges were being emptied on New Year's Eve they were told by their employers that it was just 'maintenance'. A staff member told Lovin: 'We worked the 31st as normal, the store was scheduled to close early that day at 2pm. Around 1.45pm we saw people taking apart the fridges but they said it was maintenance. 'Last night we were sent an email at 5pm saying to come to a meeting today. People showed up to the meeting in uniform.' Employees claim that they will receive two weeks pay and that there 'may be opportunities' for them at the Exchequer St. store. The store's closure was announced on Instagram this morning, in a post that read: 'Unfortunately the store was loss-making and, while the decision was a very difficult one, we believe that acting decisively is what's best for the business overall.' https://www.instagram.com/p/B60M9rGny1D/ Lovin has reached out to Fallon & Byrne for comment. READ NEXT: Dublin's top 10 restaurant openings of 2019