BOSSES and traders at Oxford Castle are saying business is strong despite the closure of three high-profile restaurants this year.

The venue was rocked last week when upmarket burger chain Tootsies closed after being put into administration and Italian eaterie Carluccio’s revealed it was pulling out of the Oxford site due to poor performance.

In January, the Ha! Ha! Bar and Canteen also closed and the unit has remained empty ever since, while trendy bar and restaurant the Living Room is also in administration, although it continues to trade.

More than 50 jobs have been lost as a result of the closures.

But Jean-Pierre Morilleau, general manager of the Castle development, remains upbeat about the performance of the site.

The development opened in December 2005 and has attracted more than five million visitors.

He said: “Tootsies and Ha! Ha! went into administration, so there was nothing we could do about that. As for Carluccio’s, they seem to be opening more in shopping centres while Oxford Castle is more of a ‘destination’.

“Our other restaurants are doing well and we will have a national operator coming into the Ha! Ha! Bar site very soon.

“We have also had three parties interested in the Tootsies site, including a local restaurateur.”

Mr Morilleau said competition from other restaurants such as Jamie’s Italian had been a factor in the Carluccio’s decision, although he said the restaurant would remain open until the lease has been sold.

He said: “In the last four years a lot of competition has come in and you have to reinvent yourself every so often.

“The decision to suspend development of the Westgate has been a drawback, but there is nothing we can do about it.”

Robert Cook, chief executive of the Malmaison hotel group, said the performance of the hotel developed on the site of the old Oxford prison had been “fantastic”, with room occupancy above 80 per cent.

He added: “The restaurant is one of the best trading in the group and the development has been an overwhelming success for us.

“I can’t put my finger on why other operators are not performing as well.”

Meanwhile, the Oxford Castle Unlocked attraction enjoyed a bumper year with 237,000 visitors between February and August, compared to 188,000 for the same period last year, a rise of more than 25 per cent.

Visitor centre manager Emily Hirons said: “Times are difficult and it is unfortunate news for the businesses affected.

“But it’s not all doom and gloom on the castle site and I’m sure other prospective businesses will recognise the merits of being in a city centre location next to what was recently recognised as Oxford’s number one visitor attraction.”