Mixed picture as Christmas rush builds
As the headlong rush towards Christmas gains inevitable momentum, the hospitality trade will be looking to capitalise on what should be the busiest period of the year.
And, in Belfast at least, things appear to be going to plan as traders report strengthening footfall in city centre premises.
Away from the capital, however, the picture is less clearly defined, with operators reporting a sluggish early start to the festivities.
At The Hudson Bar on Belfast’s Gresham Street, Michael Morris said that business had begun to increase quite markedly from the middle of November onwards:
“People are starting to get into the mood and it’s very obvious now with the pick-up in footfall and general attitude,” he told LCN at the end of November. “We even saw the first Christmas jumper last weekend!”
Michael says he confident that the bar will do well this festive season and that everyone is staying positive:
“Business was nice and steady until the start of November and we’ve seen a serious pick-up in the last few weeks,” he added. “And in terms of Christmas dinners, we are almost fully booked.”
Round at Robinson’s Bar on Great Victoria Street, it was a similar story. Manager, Tracey Hill, said business was noticeably up on last Christmas:
“I just think that there are more people about in Belfast and so footfall is up,” she added.
Tracey said that Christmas party business was up to expectation and she was hopeful that trade would remain strong throughout December:
“November has been good and we’re looking to sustain that right through to Christmas,” she added.
Elsewhere in the province, however, sentiment remains very muted, with traders reporting a slow start to the season’s festivities.
At The Phoenix Bar in Derry, proprietor, Gerry McDermott, reported a “very quiet” November, although he said that he hoped to see an increase in trade by about the second week in December:
“We enjoyed a good Christmas for the last couple of years and I don’t see why things should be any different this year,” he remarked. “Business generally seems to have levelled out, I fact, it’s a little down on last year, I don’t know why that is, but we’re going to be doing our best to make up for that during December.”
At Bryson’s Bar in Magherafelt, owner, Peter Bryson, said that he was being kept “busy enough”, but added that “things are missing that spark just at the moment”.
Indicating that he remained optimistic that trade would lift in December, he pointed out that two new restaurants had recently opened in the mid-Ulster town. That had affected his own food trade to some extent, he conceded, but said that he felt the new restaurants would bring more custom in on the drinks side of the business.
“Things aren’t quite up to expectations as yet, but we hope they’ll take up before very much longer,” he added.
Hotels seem to be subject to the same slow start. At the Maldron Hotel in Derry, GM Mike Gatt described current business levels as “challenging” and blamed unfavourable exchange rates for a poor start to the Christmas rush in the border town:
“Because of the current exchange rate, Derry is feeling the pinch,” he said. We’re seeing an increase in business year-on-year, we’re in a good place, but we see the challenges.”
Mike said that he remained “cautiously optimistic” going into January.
In Ballycastle, Claire Hunter, joint-owner of the Marine Hotel, is looking forward to further refurbishment work on her seafront property in January. She reported that the Christmas market at Kintyre Street in the town was “generating a helpful festive buzz” around the town and said that from the start of December, she expected Christmas party trade to strengthen:
“We’re not in the city, so accommodation business at this time of hear is not as strong, we expect that, but our food and beverage trade is really living up to expectations,” she added.
