Numerous have been saved at two of Dublin's most well-known restaurants after they amassed debts following COVID.

In total, 75 jobs have been saved at Brasserie Sixty6 and Rustic Stone – which are both co-owned by chef Dylan McGrath – after struggling with repeated closures due to restrictions and lockdowns during the pandemic.

However, doors are now remaining open after a rescue plan was devised between Mr McGrath and Azets Ireland.

Brasserie Sixty6 Restaurant (Photo by Tom Douglas)

Speaking to Newstalk, Neil Hughes from Azets said many restaurants have found themselves in a similar situation.

"A lot of these businesses would have shut down to keep the rest of the country safe," he said.

"They have been left now with an overhang of debt, and Brasserie Sixty6 was one of those businesses.

"This is a well-known restaurant business in the city centre in Dublin, with well-known owners, obviously.

"I was delighted when we were in a position to assist it to restructure and come out the far end of the Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP)."

Menu at Brasserie Sixty6 Restaurant (Photo by Tom Douglas)

Mr Hughes said SCARP operates in a similar way to examinership – whereby it seeks to save "viable enterprises in the State and thereby save the jobs of the employees".

"There are over 75 jobs across the two restaurants involved here, so I'm absolutely delighted for those people that their livelihoods have been protected because of this small company rescue procedure," he said.

"I think we're going to see many, many more in the next couple of years as the economy deals with the fallout from the pandemic.

"In common with many hospitality businesses – the tax warehousing, the buildup of arrears to suppliers – this was simply just too much for the business to deal with as it came out of the pandemic.

"That's why it needed a framework in order to deal with those debts."