In a dramatic turnaround, Low & Slow has announced it is now co-owners of Cardinals in Brading, just days after revealing its immediate departure from the restaurant and the cancellation of more than 1,000 bookings.
The Texas-style smoked BBQ business, run by chef Matt McIvor, shared the news on social media this afternoon (Saturday), bringing an unexpected end to a turbulent week which had thrown the future of the restaurant into doubt.
In a Facebook post, the team announced:
“After a long and stressful week, we can finally share the news… we are now co-owners of Cardinals!”
The announcement follows tensions between Low & Slow and Cardinals which escalated earlier this week, prompting a crisis meeting to be arranged for yesterday (Friday).
However, Low & Slow said nobody from Cardinals attended the meeting, before announcing that it was ending its arrangement with the Brading venue.
The sudden departure left more than 1,000 bookings affected, with Low & Slow saying it was looking for alternative premises.
The restaurant had only opened in late September, following several years of Low & Slow operating pop-ups, attending festivals and providing outside catering across the Isle of Wight.
However, today’s announcement has dramatically changed the situation, with the team also confirming that the staff member involved in the issues is no longer part of the team.
Importantly, all bookings from Wednesday onwards will now go ahead.
Customers whose reservations were cancelled will also receive 20% off their next booking as an apology for the disruption.
Thanking customers for their patience and support, the team added:
“The hard work starts now — and we can’t wait to welcome you back!”
