Peachtree receives whopping 1,000 reservations in a week
By Maurice Garvey
ONLINE dining finally re-opened on Monday, and residents are eager to snap up what availability they can secure at local restaurants, cafes and bars.
Fine food, fine weather and a return to the simple pleasures of a meal with companions are high on the agenda right now, but it will take more than a good summer to make up the shortfall the hospitality industry has suffered over the last 15 months.
Peachtree East staff Rodrigo, Derek, Darren, Paul, Claire, Luke and Courtney on Monday
The Peachtree East at Tallaght Cross East, a popular venue before Covid, received a whopping 1,000 reservations within a week of re-opening their online booking portal.
“June is going to be an extremely busy, lunch and dinner is booked for the whole month, but we can try and fit people in depending on time and space,” said Peachtree owner Paul Philips.
Customers can check availability on the Peachtree website booking portal, or call the restaurant which welcomed back it’s staff.
Philips said they used the challenging 15 months to make positive changes, including staff upskilling, new menu ideas, and crucially, the creation of an outdoor seating area that is covered and has heaters.
“We are working off 32 seats at the moment to adhere to social distancing and a maximum of six to a table, but there could be room for 50/60.
“We have been blessed in a way, that we have been able to build to specifications the outdoor dining we wanted, and are looking forward to get cracking.”
Peachtree and other places have seen big demand during previous re-openings, in what has been an incredibly difficult year for the industry.
“I think we’re coming out of our third lockdown, it is extremely hard mentally on staff and for the whole country. If you further in the cost it takes to close and re-open, deliveries and government supports are not enough to make inroads.”
One major factor keeping the business prospects alive is an incredibly loyal base of customers.
“We have received unbelievable support from the local community, and were kind of taken aback by it,” admitted Paul.
“There is a great sense of community spirit in Tallaght. Takeaways doubled. When you are down on your luck, you notice that support.”
The camaraderie has also been evident within the industry itself, with businesses offering a bit of leeway where they can.
“There has been massive support in Ireland between suppliers, creditors, everybody banding together in that sense of helping the industry to get back on track.”
Brexit and Covid increases have seen a hike in certain imports but Paul says the “last thing we want to do is pass that onto customers”.
“A team meeting we had the other day was full of new ideas. We have used the time over the last year productively.
“The whole rest of the year is just about re-opening, not profit – getting some money back in and paying staff. Hopefully 2021 is the year we look back and say it is over.”
