Good Friday: Northern pubs fear £20m sales outflow to Republic
‘If there are a couple of days of good weather, it’ll be even worse for us over Easter’
The Crown Bar in Belfast. Publicans and restaurateurs in the North are not happy with rules restricting alcohol sales over the Easter weekend. Photograph: iStock
Pubs and restaurants in the North fear restrictions on selling alcohol over the Easter weekend will encourage customers to head south to enjoy new, relaxed licensing laws, potentially costing the North’s hospitality industry up to £20 million (€22.8 million) in lost revenue.
Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, the industry group which represents licensed premises across the North including pubs, restaurants and hotels, says there is no doubt that businesses in Northern Ireland will lose out to their competitors in the Republic this Easter. Mr Neill said the rule change would see more customers from the State staying at home to socialise instead of going North, while pubs in the Republic will attractnew Northern customers.