Tag: Restaurant

Creativity

How creativity is key to hospitality industry’s bounce back

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Pivot.. pivot… PIVOT!!! Everyone remembers the episode in Friends when Ross, Rachel and Chandler are trying to get the couch up the stairs and Ross is shouting “Pivot” to no avail! Well that is exactly what the hospitality industry is going through at the moment! We are holding the future of our industry in our hands, stuck on a corner, knowing we have to pivot but not entirely sure how to do it! So what is a pivot? A pivot is when a company makes a change to its business model after realising that they are unable to service the market in its current format.

So how do we accomplish that?

I spoke to a number of companies this week to check in how they are adapting and I was delighted to get such a positive response. For example, I spoke to senior management in Boojum and they told me how they decided early on to meet the challenge head-on. They left a small number of stores open for delivery only as well as click and collect and adapted the layout of all their kitchens to create a new workflow that kept the staff a safe distance apart while not affecting productivity. They are now looking at reopening more stores with the same template. Boojum also introduced initiatives for staff that were temporarily laid off, one of which was a free daily meal! This is a fantastic idea as it kept staff engaged with the brand while not working and highlighted to the staff how they are valued by management.

This echoes reports that I am getting when I speak to people in the Quick Service Restaurant Industry on the high street. Most have pivoted their business to service takeaway and click and collect demand which allows them to remain open and functional while working away in the background figuring out how they are going to manage to return to regular service. Amazingly, some QSR operators who have adapted to take advantage of the demand for home delivery are reporting that their sales figures are level with figures for 2019 with one operator that I spoke to admitting that he was in the middle of opening a new outlet!

What about hotels?

We are seeing that a number of hotels and restaurant are starting to reopen, offering a reduced menu for click and collect and home delivery. Earlier, I spoke to The Castleknock Hotel who is doing just that. They have been busy designing and implementing a new service for their customers which has been a massive success for the hospitality industry. They have adapted the kitchen, implemented new Health & Safety guidelines and also rotated the staff to ensure that social distancing protocols adhered to. By rotating the staff on smaller shifts, it also promotes employee engagement and give the staff a sense of purpose albeit in a limited capacity at present. Now doing a takeout coffee service, they will keep the call and collect model when the Hotel fully reopens and they also hope to expand by adding of a new outdoor area in the coming weeks!

There is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks as we start to see the ingenuity and resilience of the Hospitality Industry adapt to challenges in the market. There are green shoots starting to spring up so get up off that couch and pivot…

Lifting of Good Friday alcohol ban will extend to restaurants and hotels

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The Good Friday ban on the sale of alcohol is to be lifted from all premises including hotels, restaurants and clubs, by 2018.

The Government is to ensure that the lifting of the ban on the sale of alcohol on Good Friday will apply to all premises rather than be restricted to pubs and off licences.

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has announced that the Government would not oppose a Private Member’s Bill submitted earlier this year by Independent Senator Billy Lawless. Mr Lawless’ bill sought to remove the 90-year-old ban for pubs and off-licences.

Ms Fitzgerald had pointed out, however, that it would lead to further legal anomalies, and she will today ask her Cabinet colleagues to consider amendments to ensure that the abolition will also apply to restaurants, clubs and hotels.

The Government’s initial intention had been to lift the ban with its own legislation that would aim to reform the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol. The Sale of Alcohol Bill is expected to come before the Dáil later this year, but the Government will remove the prohibition through amendments to Mr Lawless’s Bill, so that the proposals can pass through the Oireachtas well in advance of Good Friday 2018.

A Government source speaking to the Irish Times newspaper said: “While the Bill would, if enacted in its current form, permit the sale of intoxicating liquor on Good Friday in public houses and off-licences, it would not permit such sales in other categories of licensed premises, such as restaurants and hotels. Moreover, it would not apply in the case of registered clubs. It would therefore introduce further anomalies and unfair trading conditions in respect of the sale of alcohol on Good Friday.”

The changes that are to be considered by the Cabinet aim to “to remove these anomalies by allowing for the sale of alcohol in all categories of licensed premises on Good Friday”.

Sunshine Tax

Irish hospitality industry concerned about proposed sunshine tax

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Restaurant and café owners are concerned that a new ‘sunshine tax’ could undermine the booming outdoor business in Irish cities.

A new ‘sunshine tax’ could affect Ireland’s hospitality industry by forcing pubs, cafes and restaurants to pay a tenfold increase in the current charge for outdoor seating and street signage.

If the proposed tax goes ahead, businesses with outdoor seating would have to pay an annual fee of €125 for each table and four chairs, €635 for street signage and an additional €100 for licensing.

Cork City Council are exploring the possibility of implementing the tax on a seasonal basis, charging businesses when outdoor seating is actually in use, such as between the months of May and September. Other local authorities in Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford and Limerick are considering this approach too.

‘Café culture’ has become a significant selling point for Ireland’s tourism promoters, particularly with international visitors seeing it as a as a reason to visit the likes of Dublin, Cork and Galway, while street-side catering has been cited as a reason for the high number of American tourists spending time in other Irish cities and towns.

Tourism Development Directorate official Sharon Corcoran said: “Street furniture is critical. It is critical for small restaurants and it is critical for coffee shops. It is also critical for the tourism industry and we want to encourage people to stay longer [in towns and cities] and shop a little longer.”

Ireland enjoyed growth in overall visitor numbers of 10% in 2016.

 

Ireland’s first floating four-star hotel and restaurant planned for Cork City’s quays.

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

Plans have been presented to Cork City Council’s planning office for Ireland’s first floating four-star hotel.The company behind the project plan to permanently moor a 105m luxury cruise vessel on the north channel of the River Lee at Penrose Quay, next to Michael Collins Bridge.

The cruise ship, named ‘My Story’ is 105 metres long and has three decks, 96 cabins with accommodation for 156 people, a panorama bar, several lounge areas, a swimming pool, and a sun deck. The vessel was built in 1971 and is based in Rotterdam, Holland. The vessel is entirely self-sufficient but will require a connection to the water main and the foul sewer.

The vessel, currently tied up for the winter season, has cruised along Germany’s River Rhine and Danube, Europe’s second longest river, but may take up permanent residence in Cork as soon as August 2017.

The cruiser is estimated to cost around €1.75m and its acquisition is subject to planning approval. Sick & Sore Ltd, the company behind the floating hotel project, are keen to get the project up and running and insist if this particular vessel cannot be acquired, the development will proceed with another vessel, similar in scale.

Sick & Sore Ltd is based in Dublin and headed up by Director Sam Corbett Jnr. Mr Corbett has been involved in several maritime projects around Ireland including, playing a key part in the project to acquire the former Cork-based tender vessel the Cill Áirne. Once acquired, the vessel was renovated and refitted for use as a restaurant on Dublin’s North Wall Quay in 2006.

Mr Corbett told CCC that the vessel is well made and effectively ready to go. A decision from CCC is expected mid-February and allowing time for the logistics of transporting the cruiser, Mr Corbett hopes the hotel could be operational by August.

Sick & Sore Ltd have said a high-profile hotel and tourist destination operator is lined up to operate the hotel and the company plans to recruit a high-end restaurateur to operate the business’ food element. The restaurant’s main focus will be on serving guests of the hotel, but will operate lunch and dinner services for the general public.

According to the planning application, the development will enhance Cork’s recreational and leisure amenities, “The proposed development would utilise the quay, attract tourists and provide an alternative/unique dining and accommodation experience for both residents and visitors alike.”

 

Photo William Murphy via Flickr

Urban Outfitters buy Italian restaurant chain

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Urban Outfitters, best known for their clothing and homewares have bought an Italian restaurant chain. The retailer also known as UO, have made a bold move in diversifying their portfolio by purchasing the Vetri Family group of restaurants.

UO, which is based in Philadelphia has 2 Irish stores in Dundrum Town Centre and Temple Bar, Dublin 2. The price has not been released, but the sale was confirmed yesterday. Certain UO stores already have an in-store food offering with cafes, but the acquisition of a restaurant chain is an unusual move for the fashioned focussed retailer.

It is believed that Urban Outfitters will help expand the restaurants to a wider audience while the Vetri family focuses on the food.

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/urban-outfitters-buys-italian-restaurant-chain-1.2432208