Restaurants, gastropubs hail ‘new normal’ as outdoor dining returns

Monday is being hailed as a fresh start for the food service industry although restaurants and gastropubs remain nervous about their long-term prospects with reduced seating capacity and added costs linked to the resumption of outdoor dining.

Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, said some businesses had invested €50,000-€60,000 preparing outdoor dining space for customers. “Shelters, heaters, windbreakers – all this equipment is a huge investment.”

The Government grant of €4,000 under the outdoor dining enhancement scheme would not cover what most people spent on adapting their premises, he said.

Mr Cummins believes it will take many years for businesses to get back on their feet but he is hopeful outdoor dining can help some businesses recover while restrictions remain in place. However, many restaurants had no space for outdoor dining, he said, and would have to wait until July 5th to reopen when the ban on indoor dining was due to be lifted.

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“Effectively only 20 per cent of businesses have the capacity to provide outdoor hospitality, be it a beer garden or outdoor dining space.”

Sean McCarthy, a restaurant and pub owner based in Cork city, said three of his four premises would be reopening on Monday.

SoHo, Tequila Jacks and the East Village all underwent significant investment. “Outdoor dining is going to be here for a long time... There are still vaccinations going on, there is still a fear factor of the unknown, especially with different variants,” he said.

“We feel that even when indoor dining reopens, hopefully in July, outdoor dining will still play an important part in our business.”

He said the weather was a major factor but noted many businesses had invested in new structures, weather protection and outdoor furniture. “People are really spending much, much more than the grants, to make sure the customer will have a comfortable dining experience.”

The Cork businessman said he was delighted his staff could return to work, and he was grateful for their enthusiasm.

The Government supports announced last week were very welcome, and it would have been impossible for the sector to survive without them, Mr McCarthy said. “It will lessen the impact of the reduced [capacity].”

The Government recovery plan extended a number of financial supports to businesses including the 9 per cent VAT rate for the hospitality sector, which will now stay in place until September 2022.

Timber suppliers

The emphasis on outdoor dining has proved a boon for suppliers of timber products such as fences, decking and outdoor seating.

Husband and wife team Henry and Shirley O’Kelly own and manage the Timbertrove, which is located at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. They set up their timber business in the early 1980s and “we’ve never really been this busy”, Mr O’Kelly said.

“There’s been a huge demand. We’ve sold dividers, like flower box dividers, where pubs and restaurants want to separate people.”

There is also a brisk trade for decking, sheds and seating for home gardens, and Mr O’Kelly has noticed that more people are buying the raw timber products and doing the building themselves.

“They’d often ring us for advice, and we are happy to support them.”

Their children now help out with the business. “It takes the pressure off us when it gets busy,” said Ms O’Kelly “We have seen a steady increase in demand, even before Covid, people were spending more time in the garden. I think demand will continue.”

Mark Lohan, managing director of timber suppliers Brooks, said the demand this year had been unprecedented.

“There are shortages of the product across the board. We stocked up as best we could and have been able to keep our supply lines open.”

Mr Lohan said timber was in demand globally for home building as well, with many countries seeking to boost construction as Covid restrictions ease.

Pub reopening

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) said it expected about half of pubs to reopen for outdoor trading on Monday. This should mean about 4,000 venues across the country, with 25,000 staff returning to work, it said.

“Many will have invested in outdoor furniture though it’s only in the past week that Government confirmed that traditional non-food pubs can apply for the grant that allows pubs claim €4,000 towards preparing their outdoor area. That could have come sooner,” a spokesperson said.

The VFI said its members were reporting strong bookings for the first day back, with many fully booked out a week in advance of the bank holiday, although others would have space for “walk-ins”.

Describing Monday as “a big day” for the sector, VFI chief executive Padraig Cribben said: “For the vast majority of publicans, outdoor service will keep them ticking over until indoor trading resumes on July 5th. We’re acutely aware that thousands of our members cannot open this week as they have no outdoor space and will have to wait another four weeks to resume trading.

“We’re hoping for a busy summer once all pubs open. There is a sense in the trade that people want to get out of the house and meet up. To get pubs back open will be a great sign the country is returning to normal.”