As the summer of 2020 comes to a close, the outlook for Ireland’s hospitality industry has bever been more uncertain.

Vintners groups have warned that the pub trade is now facing a ‘doomsday scenario’ which could see up to two-thirds of pubs that don’t serve food permanently closing their doors.

The Vintner's Federation of Ireland has warned that the ‘paltry’ financial supports announced for the industry last week will do little to support businesses that have already been shuttered for six months.

Meanwhile, hotels and restaurants around the country will be wondering whether the shortened summer season has offered up enough to keep them in the black through what many expect to be a difficult winter.

    

Newstalk presenter Bobby Kerr has taken an in-depth look at the sector as part of his Back on Track series of podcasts.

Featuring Restaurants Association of Ireland CEO Adrian Cummins, Wexford hotelier Liam Griffin and Pat Crotty, owner of the Paris Texas Bar in Kilkenny, the episode digs deep into the issues facing Ireland’s hospitality industry.

Bobby also hears from Gerardo Larios Rizo, Head of Hospitality at the Business Bank of Bank of Ireland, on the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 guidelines and the supports available to hospitality businesses.

Uncertainty

Mr Rizo told Bobby that many businesses are finding themselves paralysed by the uncertainty of the current situation.

“As the Government supports are lifted, that could leave some businesses a little bit more compromised but I think a lot of them will be adapting over the coming months, while the training wheels are coming off so to speak,” he said.

“But at the moment it is just that uncertainty. Once the restrictions are lifted little by little, they will know exactly how to deal with it. The sector is very resilient and it has adapted before so I have no doubt it will manage to adapt again.”

Back on Track

The Back on Track series examines the issues facing six of the most important sectors in the Irish economy and discusses new ways for businesses to prepare for the new normal.

You can listen back to all six here or get started with Episode One: The Food Industry below: