Dublin Restaurants & Stores Have Suffered Through The Snow – Show Support This Sunday

The snow has been the talk of the week and dominated media coverage across Ireland. 

Despite the danger you get the sense that most people are absolutely delighted with a couple of days off work and some unexpected time bonding with family and friends. In some ways it feels like a mini Christmas with everybody cooped up in their houses watching movies and resting up.

One group of people who aren't quite as happy though, are small business owners. For many this snow week is an absolutely torrid time that brings huge worry...

To all my restaurant peers, I feel your pain....pls RT pic.twitter.com/ODobMEQI3j

— Oliver Dunne (@OliverDunne) March 2, 2018

Many remember seeing businesses go under in 2010 when there was a prolonged period of similar weather....

So, here's what you can do on Sunday 4th March... 

With the snow hopefully clearing it will start to feel like the 26th December with people looking to get out of the house. Some things we could all do...

• Organise brunch meet ups with friends 
• Go to the local pub for a day of pints and sport 
• Make the effort to go into town and shop in local independent stores
• Go to the cinema, events or shows
• Meet up with friends for coffee and cake 
• Order a bottle of wine and really splash out for a meal
• Stock up the fridge from a local butchers, veg shop or on essentials. A big shop
• Place some online bookings for later in the month to give businesses confidence in their future trade

Basically it's a chance to have an amazing day of getting out of the house and behind local businesses and sole traders who will have been hit so hard in the last 4-5 days. A large majority of us will still have been paid our salaries and can probably afford a slap up meal or a few extra purchases. 

Devastating week for our industry & many more besides us..

Closed again today but will reopen SATURDAY & SUNDAY for lunch & dinner. Any bookings in coming days is greatly appreciated!!

Tables available at any time. Book online at https://t.co/4YOXvXu4Pm or e: [email protected] pic.twitter.com/l7l6UWWZji

— ONE PICO (@OnePicoDublin) March 2, 2018

What small businesses could do...

• Put on special breakfasts, brunches, lunches and dinners (see below)
• Open on Sunday when they perhaps hadn't planned to 
• Band together and help promote each other and the concept 
• Treat it as a bit of a special day like how everyone heads out on Stephen's Day to the local and build an atmosphere 
• Build hype and share stuff like in below Tweets and Instagrams. Get people excited and booking tables.

Organising fresh supplies and getting everything cranked up again could be tricky but a bit of ingenuity and special menus or creative thinking will be well embraced by customers.

** WE WOULD LOVE YOUR SUPPORT** Losing trade this week to The Beast is absolutely devastating to a tiny, independent restaurant like us ! So to try and save the week, we’re doing a Granny’s Sunday Lunch on Sunday. 3 Joints of Meat with all the trimmings & we’ll have Lobsters too pic.twitter.com/NK8uq6PGje

— Gaz (@MichaelsCoDub) March 1, 2018

How others could support the day...

I'm just putting it out there and hoping others might take on the baton. Some ideas...

• General public to support and share the concept
• Other media organisations to push the concept for the greater good
• Free parking / transport / lifts into town?
• Open to any and all suggestions

Just get out there and spend money...

Of course it isn't going to be possible for everybody and I know there are lots of others who need support at this time. I just personally know how stressful it is running a small business and what losing four days trade could do. It could be difference between many businesses surviving or not. 

That's no exaggeration.

If this does take off and grow legs it should be owned by the businesses and the general public. To see thriving businesses and a bustling city on Sunday with the cash registers ringing would take away some of the pain and worry felt by so many.

Dublin is still a small city and it's our community spirit that stands to us in times like this.