A FAREWELL party for Oxford sausage restaurant The Big Bang closed part of Walton Street to traffic.
More than 350 people enjoyed bangers and mash, music and memories as they said goodbye to the restaurant.
Owner Max Mason closed one lane of Walton Street without permission, put a barbecue, tables and chairs on the pavement and allowed revellers to spill out onto the road. Mr Mason, who is being forced to move because the site owner has been granted planning permission to redevelop, said: “It is my little protest. I wanted to cause a commotion in the last few days.”
He added: “It was an incredible turnout, really fantastic. It was a fitting send-off to an unusual character in Oxford’s landscape.”
Police were called to the party, but took no action after Mr Mason said he was making sure the road was not completely blocked. But Oxford City Council spokesman Louisa Dean said it could take “any action that is deemed necessary”.
She added: “We did not receive an application to close this road and we will be looking into this.”
Mr Mason only expected the restaurant to run for five or six months, but it ended up trading for seven years.
He said: “I knew most of the people who came to the closing party, because it is such a neighbourhood restaurant, and that is one of the saddest things about seeing it go.”
The restaurant will remain open until Tuesday.
Mr Mason said he would be “going underground” for a while, then he was hoping to open a couple of ‘pop-up’ restaurants at as yet undecided locations before finding a new permanent home.
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