The employment crisis in the hospitality sector.

You are right. The purpose of the VAT reduction was to decrease the cost to the customer thus encouraging them to spend and support the industry.

I am convinced that gross and net margins are higher in Ireland than in the UK, in many sectors.

OK, gross margins may need to be higher, as overheads are higher.

But net margins seem higher here.

There is plenty of profit being made.

The crises in employment in Dublin's hospitality industry is related to the housing crises at the moment too.

Covid shutting the hospitality gave it a disadvantage. Ireland is creating a lot of jobs in all sectors. Alot of sectors were creating jobs even in lockdown.

When covid first hit alot of foreigner workers in the hospitality left and went home. There accommodation was probably replaced by somebody working in the non hospitality sector. Now the hospitality is back open alot of foreigners workers are needed to fill these positions that were crested overnight when the hospitality reopened. But there is nowhere to live. The accommodation that hospitality workers were in pre covid has been replaced by a person in a non hospitality industry. Also in dublin rents are so high that alot cant afford to rent on hospitality wages.

Bussiness will shut in the hospitality due to lack of staff and wages will rise for workers in this sector. Except inflation in prices to continue to rise in this sector too as bussiness as there is less competition.

I worked in the bar game for 12 years 97-09 and the money was great, pay rises every year and a strong union.

Then when the recession started and pubs lost some of the trade they had in the boom years, they wanted all the old staff gone and had an endless supply of cheap labour willing to work till 4am for a tenner an hour.

Working conditions, cohesion in the workplace and overall level of service went down the toilet and has never recovered.

The majority of publicans are scum. And it pleases me to see some of them closing up.

They treat their staff like animals!

Years back, I got a job in a popular Dublin restaurant, and on day 1, instantly gt treated link a sub-human by some fool of a manager, minimum wage and long working crazy hours with only 1 break, and being roared at and shouted at and not even treated well at all.

Same in other **** hospitality jobs, they don't pay well or respect anyone.

Why would anyone want to deal with this nonsense?

I'm glad that some of these restaurants and cafes are struggling and going out of business, perhaps they should have treated people right over the years and this would not have happened, or perhaps restaurants with a bad name should be regulated better and constantly supervised properly.

Respect is key!

Unfortunately, most of these restaurants refuse to respect their staff, and most managers don't give a ****.

It was only a matter of time before this was bound to happen.

Let's hope, going forward, that things change!!!!

Coffee shops boomed like never before during Covid

More times than often customers arrive at premises , of course look at menus, prices etc , it's not just as simple has analysing menu prices , being horrified and getting up to leave , some will have booked an occasion, some will have travelled to an establishment, some may have few options and may have already purchased drinks etc. Of course people can vote with their feet but not always possible.

I recall I had a restaurant in Dingle, over 20 years ago. I was fascinated, even back then at Tourists browsing menu's throughout the day , I initially thought , maybe looking for choice, preference for a particular type of food etc , Not at all,, I discovered, they were primarily checking prices . This was at a time you had 3 choices in Dingle

Fish and Chips

Crap food in grotty tourist type restaurants

Off the scale Fine Dining prices.

My solution and it caused uproar at the time. The introduction of the first Early Bird Menu in Dingle. The Goal to Drive business 5 - 7 by offering a simplified menu with value for money the Key.

I went from a half full restaurant 5 -7 to a queue out the door and bookings 6 months in advance during peak times.

Other restaurants caught on in time but even the Fine Dining establishments tried to compete , the difference, my 3 course price was the same as some starters in these restaurants. I retained a fine dining Bistro style menu from 7 - 10 but always watched prices.

I offered excellent Food at a reasonable price and constantly good service. Developed a successful business by retaining an excellent small team , controlling costs (I was chef Proprietor) and understanding my customers and did not Gouge. My margin was lower 5 -7 but made up through wine sales and enhanced my 7 - 10pm business through reputation and whilst later menu more expensive, so to was choice on offer , I was never greedy , Just practical.

Repeat Business is Better than No Business and primarily achieved by consistency and Well trained and cared for staff . These simple concepts sadly lost in the sector over the past 20 years unfortunately.

funnily enough, you d probably find most industries have all sorts of state supports, without which, simply wouldnt be, many large corporations simply wouldnt exist without these state supports, and this has always been the case, long before covid turned up!

My degree was in hospitality management, worked in different roles for different hotels in different regions of the country for years and finished up in a 5 star hotel in Dublin. The common thread among all of these jobs was that, aside from HOD's upwards, practically every person I encountered no matter the department they worked in would practically bite your hand off to get out of the hospitality industry. Numerous reasons why but of course the most obvious are the unsociable working hours, the pretty dreadful pay (and nobody cuts more corners than hospitality places) and the demeaning nature of the job.

On the last one, you can provide service in a respectful way but when you're getting roared at both by ungrateful guests and managers only too happy to take the side of the guest for the sake of an easier life then it becomes soul destroying. On top of all of that the work is tough, you're constantly doing something, things you'd take for granted working in an office environment are treats to cherish in hospitality. Maybe there used to be a good working atmosphere among staff pre recession and the chance to actually make your way in a long term career that could provide a comfortable life for you, but at an average wage of around €22,000 a year for the regular run of the mill employee, it's entirely unsustainable.

once again, without these state supports, many of these businesses wouldnt be viable. i worked for a large corporation that never made a profit!