Hotel & Restaurant Sector

Irish restaurants seeing 'jump in cancellations' amid coronavirus concerns, says Restaurant Association

The Journal – 06.03.2020

Some 80% of corporate bookings at Irish restaurants have been cancelled because of the novel coronavirus, according to the Restaurant Association of Ireland. The RAI is calling on the government to implement immediate business supports to keep the restaurant and tourism sector afloat as the number of confirmed Irish cases continues to grow. The epidemic has also wreaked havoc on international business, tourism, and sports events. A number of Irish hotels have seen “significant levels” of cancellations from Italian guests since the Ireland V Italy Six Nations match was postponed. To minimise damage to the tourism and hospitality sector, the RAI is looking or an immediate reduction of the VAT rate to 9% for tourism and hospitality businesses for a minimum period of 6 months.

Jamie Oliver to open ‘great Irish food’ restaurant in Dublin in April

The Irish Times – 12.02.2020

Jamie Oliver has announced that he is opening a new restaurant in Dublin in April. The television chef says Chequer Lane by Jamie Oliver, a 100-seat restaurant on Exchequer Street, “will celebrate some of my favourite comfort food and the menu will be packed with big, hearty flavours and simple, seasonal ingredients: the food I really love to cook and diners love to eat”. He is opening the restaurant three doors down from Fallon & Byrne on Exchequer Street, taking over the locations of the Petit children’s clothes shop and Boulevard Cafe.