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RESTAURANTS ACROSS THE country have made the decision to close entirely on off-peak days in an attempt to keep energy costs down, the head of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has said.
Speaking to The Journal, CEO of the association Adrian Cummins said over the last week he has been hearing from food businesses that they are “sitting down with staff to talk about contingency measures regarding the sustainability of their businesses in autumn and winter”.
He said one of the main measures businesses are taking is a reduced week, keeping their doors closed on less busy days earlier in the week.
“You will see businesses closing fully on the likes of Monday and Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday, and then only opening on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “And then they will open for longer on those days to try to maximise the revenue they can generate when they are open.”
The Saucy Cow restaurant in Dublin’s Temple Bar is one such food business. In a statement yesterday it said it that due to the “crazy” increase in gas and electricity prices, a decision has been taken to close on Mondays in an attempt to “ride out the storm”.
“We may have to make a few more changes around hours in the coming months so please just keep and eye on Google and Instagram as we will keep every one up to date,” the statement said.
Cummins said that while food businesses are limited in the decisions they can take on reducing their energy usage – they can not turn off their refrigerators or ovens, for example – some are trying to be more economical about their use of appliances such as dishwashers, using them at different times or waiting until most of their crockery is used to switch it on.
On Dublin pub, Doyles Corner in Phibsborough, has decided to turn off its heating on Tuesday and offer customers a 20% discount on their food bills to make up for the chillier environment.
Co-owner Ronan Flood told Newstalk that the measures does not seem to be putting customers off.
“I don’t think the regulars will have an issue with it,” he said. “I thank God it’s a good busy bar. We can see bookings coming in already for the Tuesday evenings.”
The announcement by the government last week of a Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) to support SMEs is welcome, Adrian Cummins said, as it aims to cover 40% of the increase in electricity or gas bills, up to a maximum of €10,000 per month per business. However he said it should not be delayed until next month as businesses need it now.
“Businesses are running the numbers, energy prices are still rising so by the time it comes in their bills will be even higher,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough autumn and winter for them, consumer spending is starting to contract. When it come to closures, it’s more-so coffee shops and small eateries that are closing fully, they’re taking the hit already.”
He said the industry is expecting a strong festive season, but businesses need support in the run up to the busy Christmas period.
“When I ask them about Christmas bookings, they say they’re solid, but we’re two months away from Christmas and they need to get there,” he said.
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So the book shamelessly plugged for weeks by Aoife at Journal.ie wins the Journal.ie sponsored award presented by Aoife. All above board so, move along.
This book was edited by Sepp Blatter and funded by Bertie Ahern. Well done to all.
The ‘If you sponsor an award you can pick which book you want to win’ awards.
Hi Peter, we sponsor the award – we don’t pick who wins. The votes for all of the awards are cast by a judging panel who we are not involved with or members of, and members of the public.
I wrote a number of articles as part of our sponsorship, (like other publications did) on a number of the nominees. You can find them if you search for ‘Irish book awards’ on the site.
Also I wrote two pieces on Long Gaze Back, one when it was published in September and one yesterday, after the public voting for the awards had closed.
The ” give everyone an award to get the books into the media to increase sales for Christmas awards”
“Ireland AM Crime Book of the Year”.
If I were that author I’d be dropping the “Ireland AM” bit from my CV.
Bressie looks delighted. I’m glad that he won an award. Awards for anthologies always puzzle me. It’s basically a prize for other peoples work and imagination.
So the Journal award goes to one of it’s own ???
To The Journal.ie… I am curious how votes were cast in your office for this award.. If #wakingthefeminist was about conspiracy AGAINST female writers, then I suppose this award is a conspiracy FOR female writers..
Hi Sinead, we sponsor the award – we don’t pick who wins. The votes for all of the awards are cast by a judging panel who we are not involved with or members of, and members of the public. Hope that clears things up for you.
Joe Duffy and Niall Breslin…….SAKE!
Right, that’s the feminist list.
Now where’s the real list?
Delighted for Dónal Ryan – a stunning collection of short stories. Well deserved!
But that award is for s single short story, ‘slanting of the sun’. I didn’t think it was the best story in the book?
I though gilmores book would have been a shoe in for the fiction award after all his promoting and drama and shot at dawn bull. Maybe it’s in the fantasy section or heaven forbid, maybe it’s just crap, and nobody’s buying it!
Awards for books that hardly anyone will bother reading.
speak for yourself
In my humble opinion Mr Donleavy is a tad over rated. The ginger man was his first and best book. After that he descended into a surreal sort of post aristocratic Irish pastiche. First prize for his longevity. Still fighting fit in his mid nineties. I suspect keeping his exposure to other humans to a minimum helps with this.
Not Ireland’s favourite books. They would be the ones people read and enjoyed. Most likely to be found topping the charts. These are winning books picked from eligible books whose entry is sponsored by the publisher. Having said that, for the winning authors, it’s nice to get the recognition. Congratulations to them.
Ur old enough to know the rich look after the rich best thing is they do not look happy happy days
I’m sure you’re right j k but I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.
No Irish author in the Mills & Boon series? No Irish novelist nominated for the Bad Sex award in Britain?
Joe Duffy – oh, is that the one with the national radio show, the one that’s been promoting his book all year, at licence payers’ expense? The one who had his book printed in Germany?
Oh yes, so it is.
“This is a local book for local/ German jobs.”
Yet the Bible keeps on selling, it reminds me of the so called charts. The best selling music that beats those on those famoust top 40 turns out to be classical music and Mozart keeps on selling.
So when I see charts, awards or the top 5 then I think that they exist in order to sell these goods as those who sell themselves well never get a mention…
have your say