A Sandys eatery famous for its fish sandwiches is closing next month.

The last day for Taste the Love @ Woody’s in Sandys will be February 8.

Owners Wayne and Annaliese Tucker said they were shutting due to a disagreement with The New Woody’s Sports Bar & Restaurant, the business from whom they sublet.

“They presented us with a mock lease last year,” Mrs Tucker said. “The roof leaked and they wanted us to pay for that. We don’t own the building.”

When the couple refused, they received an eviction notice.

“It is really difficult for us to digest but we do not have any choice,” Mr Tucker told The Royal Gazette.

After running the business for 16 years, Mr Tucker said: “We had a good tourism product and a good location.”

It is uncertain if they will be able to find a suitable new home.

“Right now, we have a fixed date to vacate the place and that is what we are going to do,” he said.

Mrs Tucker said the business was effectively homeless.

“We put our heart and soul into it,” she said. “We are a family business and we are Bermudian. We enjoyed presenting tourists and locals with food we grew up with. My grandmother was a caterer and my husband also had a catering background.”

In a letter posted to social media, the Tuckers said the decision to close was not made lightly.

“Due to circumstances beyond our control it became necessary for us to move on,” the letter said.

Their mission was always to share delicious cuisine.

“We are incredibly grateful to have been honoured with the Best Fish Sandwich of the Year award for several consecutive years,” Mr Tucker said.

Customers raved about their fish sandwich on raisin bread on the travel website Tripadvisor. One review said: “This local restaurant had the most delicious fish sandwiches that were served on raisin bread and melted in your mouth. We tried the snapper and the wahoo and the mac and cheese side. It was all delicious!”

Mr Tucker said customer support had continually motivated them to strive for excellence.

“You have been more than just customers; you have become friends and family,” the Tuckers wrote on social media. “As part of such a close-knit community, we believe our paths will cross again.”

Fans reacted to the news with shock. One wrote: “Devastating news. I’m hoping this is a bad dream. I can’t imagine how our repeat cruise visitors are going to react when they find out that they won’t be able to tantalise their taste buds with a scrumptious fish sandwich on their return.”

Attempts to reach Woody’s management were unsuccessful last night with telephone numbers on social media sites not in operation. Google Maps listed the New Woody’s Sports Bar as closed until today.