The Secret Restaurateur

A column about issues that affect the restaurant industry. Published the first Sunday of every month in @businessposthq @foodandwineIE. All views are my own.

[FOOD&WINE Magazine Ireland @foodandwineIE]

Revenue may cite operational concerns as a reason for not treating restaurants and hotels differently on Vat, but when it comes taxes where there’s a will there’s always a way, writes @secret_eur https://t.co/aDbHzG4sl6

[FOOD&WINE Magazine Ireland @foodandwineIE]

You would think, given that recruitment and retention is such a huge problem for the sector, that employers would be bending over backwards to ensure their staff remain happy and motivated, writes @secret_eur. But is that the case? https://t.co/vvpdteN6Bc

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Will the robots eventually rise up and kill us all? Probably. Does that mean I wouldn’t be tempted to hire one for my restaurant? Probably not, writes The Secret Restaurateur @secret_eur https://t.co/dBcQR7bjhP

[Business Post @businessposthq]

The Secret Restaurateur: @secret_eur, our industry insider, is feeling more than a little worried about restaurant closures https://t.co/hSX25zdfEu

[FOOD&WINE Magazine Ireland @foodandwineIE]

Generally we tend to think that very big is bad, and very small can’t last, but is that the case? Our industry insider considers restaurant size this month https://t.co/UwZ0rchYLZ

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Would you like a stake with your steak? The funding scheme used by Gaz Smith at Big Mike’s in Dublin prompts our industry insider @secret_eur to ponder the business of opening a restaurant https://t.co/Fzltb6lTfj

[Business Post @businessposthq]

‘No small business owner would ever admit to paying their staff in cash, but everyone knows it happens.’ Our industry insider @secret_eur weighs up the pros and cons of ditching cash in their business https://t.co/WAd14SjVP8

[Business Post @businessposthq]

🔓 Free to read: 'Last month, I wrote about the commis chef apprenticeship programme, launched with fanfare in 2017 with the RAI as a stakeholder. I learned since just 60 chefs completed the programme, and it has a dropout rate of over 50%' - @secret_eur https://t.co/XWek5cURTg

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Beyond the Vat issue, the RAI seems to comment on everything from the availability of taxis to the need to regulate AirBnB. Surely it should focus on the single greatest problem facing the sector — staffing, writes @secret_eur https://t.co/WkshOTSOd2

[The Secret Restaurateur @secret_eur]

Stop the whinging! Not everything is an attack on your livelihood. The levy is a positive environmental policy that reflects on the success of the plastic bag levy. It has nothing to do with inflation - if you don’t want to pay, bring your own cup! Simples https://t.co/W7z2A5ZBoO

[The Secret Restaurateur @secret_eur]

https://t.co/LLnSgoYM4Y

[The Secret Restaurateur @secret_eur]

In my recent column I talk about staff shortages. As a postscript, I have learned that only 60 chefs have completed the Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme since it was established in 2017. It has a low uptake and a drop out rate of over 50%. These figures are cause for concern.

[Business Post @businessposthq]

"The shortage of kitchen staff is reaching crisis levels, with over 10,000 vacancies in Irish kitchens at present." Industry insider @secret_eur says urgent action is needed to prevent serious problems in the hospitality sector over the coming season. https://t.co/dvktE3rx7B

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Does size matter? Restaurant size, that is. I’ve been pondering this after a recent visit to Badam, a new Indian and Nepalese restaurant which is surely one of the smallest in Ireland, writes @secret_eur

https://t.co/8O8K9i1l2N

[The Secret Restaurateur @secret_eur]

Happy face liberation day to all in hospitality and retail.

[Gillian Nelis @gnelis]

It’s more than a little icky to see the way some people here are gloating about a business getting a bad review. It’s never nice having to write them; after all, this is someone’s livelihood. All you can do is be fair and honest. Revelling in someone’s misery? Not a good look

[The Secret Restaurateur @secret_eur]

Of course this argument is irrelevant in a restaurant context, as in practice the only ones wearing a mask are the workers, in a room full of munching and spluttering customers.

[Paul Murphy 🇵🇸 @paulmurphy_TD]

Very disappointing to see NPHET recommend that mask wearing in retail, public transport and schools becomes optional.

The workers in those settings have no option about whether they go to work.

Their unions have been clear that they wanted masks to continue.

[Conor Malone @ConorBMalone]

@allthefood_ "open four days when I visit. Enough time to iron out any wrinkles" is it not best practice to wait a month before reviewing a restaurant?

[Business Post @businessposthq]

A lack of housing is damaging our industry. I found a talented chef I hired sleeping in a shed at the back of the restaurant, writes @secret_eur. https://t.co/3aYvjlWut4

[FOOD&WINE Magazine Ireland @foodandwineIE]

New look, same great magazine - make sure to pick up your copy of Food&Wine Magazine with @businessposthq this Sunday, February 6 #buyprint