"more than 200 restaurants and cafes have shut this year"

I can't imagine it's minimum wage increases really being the main issue. I dunno how people survive on that.
Most people on the minimum wage are young and living in relatively high income households. There is nobody in the country maintaining a family on the minimum wage. Such people receive significant welfare payments.
 
Most people on the minimum wage are young and living in relatively high income households. There is nobody in the country maintaining a family on the minimum wage. Such people receive significant welfare payments.

Are you sure about that? It seems rather simplistic and sweeping.
 
With full employment and a labour shortage in so many wealth creating sectors of the economy maybe these closures are not such a bad thing.

That is a very good point which I have thought about. If I were a young one would I prefer to work on minimum wage cleaning a hospital or serving tables? Serving tables every time.

Brendan
 
And new places are opening all the time.

I was waiting with anticipation for the opening of a new sandwich shop "Carved" "sandwiches by chefs" on Shelbourne Road. I went in today for a look and the sandwiches were €10.95. I wasn't that hungry.

I will wait until Purple or Gordon invites me to lunch.

Brendan
 

You may be waiting a long time, if you are waiting on Gordon to drop his very high standards, and go to a sandwich shop ;-)

Getting back to the point, I agree entirely about younger people, or part time workers, opting for the likes of cafe work. They also have the chance to pick up a few tips from customers, there.
 

And learning to deal with difficult customers!
 
That is a very good point which I have thought about. If I were a young one would I prefer to work on minimum wage cleaning a hospital or serving tables? Serving tables every time.

Brendan
Absolutely, but is it good for the economy or society to have so many people working in jobs that don't create any wealth or provide any essential services?
 
I see a favourite haunt the lovely boulevard cafe on Baggot street has stayed shut since Christmas unfortunately .

There are also shops shutting down on the high street . I see a few vacant slots in Stillorgan shopping centre eg recently the gaming store and dunnes stores shut up shop there
 
Working from home has \ will impact it. Also the moving out of work from the city centre to business parks.

If you are working in town or close to it, would be spending a lot more on lunches, dinners in the area.
 
That is a very good point which I have thought about. If I were a young one would I prefer to work on minimum wage cleaning a hospital or serving tables? Serving tables every time.

Brendan
That's why all the media talking heads were so fixated on the issue of tips and ensuring it goes to waiting staff, that's the only low paid job they would have ever done when younger. They were even questioning why tips should be shared with the chefs and cooks that were the people actually preparing the food
 

Their issue I’m told is that they can’t get staff.
 
Their issue I’m told is that they can’t get staff.
There used to be lots of kids working part time in places like that but now it's quite difficult to employ people under the age of 16 and remain compliant to health and safety and employment legislation. I don't know if that's a factor in cafés and restaurants but where I work we used to take students on for summer jobs etc but we stopped a few years ago when we were told that we have to have specific risk assessments for every risk for people under 18. There are also significant limits on what hours young people can work. That limits their usefulness in restaurants and places which operate in the evenings.
 
Cafe Mao has gone in to liquidation.....two weeks after we received a gift voucher for them. (still unused).

We always enjoyed going to their Stillorgan outlet once a month for a nice lunch....lip smackingly good.

Dunnes Stores outlet in the Stillorgan Shopping Centre is now gone also.

Two reasons for me not to travel to Stillorgan now. My few Euro will move elsewhere.

Places we took for granted now gone.
 
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