Uncertainty dominates as traditional pubs re-open

The potential introduction of last minute, additional restrictions on publicans in the wake of the recent re-opening of traditional pubs here has been condemned by the trade.

So-called ‘wet pubs’ began trading again last Wednesday after a six-month hiatus and a comprehensive set of legally-enforceable safety measures, including a ban on dancing and strict controls on numbers, was already in place.

Now, however, as the virus surges to dangerous new heights across the UK, the NI Executive is considering additional, more stringent restrictions including a mandatory closing time for venues.

Such a measure has already been introduced to pubs in England, but the move has gone down poorly with licensees here.

Speaking to LCN just hours before he re-opened his doors to the public on Wednesday, Mark Loughran, licensee of The Tannery in Fivemiletown, said that he was ‘relieved’ to be back in business but condemned any idea of further restrictions, including a curfew, as ‘crazy’.

‘I just think they have no regard for people in the bar trade, you would nearly think they were trying to ruin us,’ he added.

Mark and his brother, Gregory, only acquired The Tannery in December last year and had just finished a refurbishment programme when the Covid-19 lockdown struck in March.

‘We’d only just started to build up the trade and get some rapport with the locals then the lockdown happened, one week we were open and the next week, everything was closed down,’ recalls Mark.

The premises did open briefly in July with an improvised food offering but closed again after a few weeks.

‘We are opening again today and it’s good to be working again, but the worry is still there,’ said Mark. ‘It’s going to be difficult. We may have this curfew to deal with and if people come out earlier then that will be good, but 11 for 11.30pm would make more sense, you make most of your money in that time between 9pm and 11pm and this will really hit that hard.’

Trade body, Hospitality Ulster, agrees that a closing time of 11.30pm would be the best option for venues. In a statement issued the day before wet-led pubs were due to re-open, it labelled the suggested additional restrictions, including the curfew, as ‘disappointing’ and pointed out that any further curtailment of the hospitality sector would make it very difficult to operate a sustainable business.

It has called for additional financial support now for beleaguered operators.

Ballymena publican, Carol McKenna warned that jobs were on the line at The Grouse in the town centre, which she owns with husband, Eugene. Carol said that the tighter restrictions imposed in the  town in the wake of a surge in Coronavirus cases caused confusion for the public and wrought significant damage in her business.

‘We’re dying a death,’ she told LCN. ‘No-one is coming into Ballymena because they think it’s in lockdown and we are on the verge of having to let people go.’

Carol also said that if the NI Executive presses ahead, as expected, with a 10pm curfew it could spell the end for the business.

‘It may come to the stage where we have to shut the business down to save costs,’ she added. ‘Between Monday and Thursday last week, we lifted £4,000. Normally, we would take between £15,000 and £20,000 in that time. That’s how serious this is. You can’t run a business this size with takings like that, they don’t even cover our costs.’