Restaurant sector will take time to get back to full tilt
Punters made a cautious return to the hospitality sector last week as most Covid-19 restrictions were lifted – as industry leaders predicted it would take time to return to a ‘normal’ level of socialising.
Over last weekend, all social distancing requirements – which had been in place since March 2020 – were scrapped which has given a great sense of optimism to hoteliers and restaurateurs, according to John Ryan of the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway City.
However, there remained a degree of fear in society that would take time to shake off – particularly for older groups.
“People are still very cautious, but we are optimistic that things will return. It may well be April before we see any return to normality,” said Mr Ryan.
“The age bracket of customers determines a lot. Young people are bursting to get out but it’ll take time to get back to a place where things are regularised.”
While things were ‘slow and steady’ for the moment, the real test would be the return to international travel, with inward tourism from the US and elsewhere crucial to the recovery of the sector.
“The international market is so important and that will be the big thing for us – whether that international market starts to travel again.
“In saying that, I do think the domestic market will still be relatively strong this year. Irish people have discovered over the past two years that Ireland is a nice place to travel and holiday in,” said Mr Ryan.
The ending of almost all restrictions last Saturday had given the sector its first real shot at recovery, he said, and while there were still fears of another variant, business owners could look the future with a greater degree of certainty than they had at any time since March 2020.
“We are finally able to put a plan in place and look forward to recovery. Staffing and training in particular have been problematic but recruitment can now get underway.
“You have to be positive and optimistic about this – look to the future and say we are going to make this happen,” said Mr Ryan.
Richard Kennan, owner of Ruíbín bar and restaurant on the Docks, said the lifting of restrictions was ‘the best possible news’.
He and his wife, chef Alice Jary, took the decision to continue closing at 8pm this week, with a plan to return to normal service on Monday.
“We’re looking forward to a long year ahead of us and because we had the rosters for staff all done, we decided to hold off and give them a couple of nights in the pub beforehand,” he laughed.
Bookings have been flooding in for next week and it had been great to return to providing ‘normal’ hospitality, he said.
“It has been really good not to be checking Covid certs for people entering. I completely understand why they were needed but I hated the divisiveness of it – it was never pleasant to have to turn people away.
“Now, we can just welcome people in with proper Irish hospitality,” said Mr Kennan.
Ruíbín was in the fortunate position of having adequate spacing between its tables long before Covid arrived and that wouldn’t change now, he said, but the return of drinking at the bar counter was hugely welcome.
“Our pub had disappeared because everyone was coming in for food – we had a restaurant over two floors which was brilliant, but we wanted to see drinking at the bar return.
“We want the groups coming in for a couple of drinks because you miss that atmosphere it creates, and it can’t be replicated,” said Mr Kennan.
The fears that were lingering among punters would dissipate as time went on, he predicted.
“It looks like younger people went hell for leather over the weekend, and who could blame them? We know there could be more restrictions in the future but I think we’ll put this behind us pretty quickly,” said the restaurateur.