A restaurant in the heart of Birmingham's business district has closed down.
Opus in Cornwall Street has announced today that it will not be re-opening next week as was planned as part of the next phase of lockdown restrictions easing.
Administrators from Birmingham-based Poppleton & Appleby have now been appointed to the business which has been trading for more than 15 years.
The venue was a hit with the business community and was often chosen as the location for corporate and fundraising lunches along with evening launch parties.
This latest move follows the news last summer that its sister bar, Bar Opus at One Snowhill, would not be reopening after it had failed to agree a deal with its landlord.
A statement released by the fine-dining restaurant said: "We are heartbroken to announce that Opus will not be re-opening next week as planned.
"Our conclusion that it is not viable to carry on trading is devastating.
"The impact of the pandemic on our industry has been extraordinary and nobody will have escaped without some level of disruption.
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"But the support we have received over the last 12 months from the Treasury, Birmingham City Council, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and our colleagues throughout the city has been immense."
The statement went on to thank the venue's suppliers and staff, which management stressed to BusinessLive had been paid in full, and finally the restaurant's customers.
It added: "Our deepest thanks go to you, our amazing customers and friends. Many of you have supported us since the day we first opened our doors, 16 years ago.
"We have kept in touch during such a difficult time through our Opus To You home delivery service and are devastated that we won't be welcoming you back with open arms.
"We are proud to have played our part in the transformation of Birmingham's city centre and we have loved every moment along the way."
Marc Reeves, Midlands marketplace publisher for BusinessLive’s owner Reach plc, praised the venue’s hard-won place at the centre of the city’s business district and its team led by directors Ann Tonks and Irene Allan.
He added: "Opus has been a cornerstone of Birmingham's business district and the city as a whole for the past 16 years.
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"The team achieved so much more in that time than just serving excellent food which, by the way, they always did.
"They wanted to act as a catalyst for change in the city, always pushing it forward and contributing to its development.
"From mayoral hustings, charity events and discussion evenings, they brought people together in a way that few other venues manage - if any.
"Knowing Ann, Irene and the team as I do, they have the energy and creativity to regroup and return with something new and the whole business community will be urging them on."