Popular Dublin restaurant One Pico was forced to close for dinner on Tuesday night after being left with zero bookings.
One Pico’s owners have pleaded for support as the restaurant industry struggles to come to terms with the public’s growing concern over the coronavirus crisis.
One Pico was left ‘decimated by cancellations’ on Tuesday after four large bookings combined for 85 cancelled guests.
The Michelin guide restaurant, located on Molesworth Place, took to Twitter to ask for support and to be considered by anyone who is planning to go out for lunch or dinner in the capital.
We have so many incredible small restaurants to be proud of and it would be a massive loss if any of them close, if the government could just temporarily help us all to get to the end of this it would be a massive help, but they must be decisive and act quickly
— ONE PICO (@OnePicoDublin) March 10, 2020
They wrote: “We have so many incredible small restaurants to be proud of and it would be a massive loss if any of them close, if the government could just temporarily help us all to get to the end of this it would be a massive help, but they must be decisive and act quickly.”
Last week, the Restaurants Association of Ireland asked for immediate business supports to be put in place following a surge in cancellations due to customers’ concerns over coronavirus.
To put the impact in perspective this is just a small picture of 4 x cancellations (names removed) from our restaurant & private dining room totaling 85 guests. We’ve got many many more similar to these, so no doubt we will have to close many more days ahead.. pic.twitter.com/1bPbY6Lllr
— ONE PICO (@OnePicoDublin) March 10, 2020
The RAI asked for an immediate reduction of the VAT rate to nine per cent for Tourism and Hospitality businesses for a minimum of six months; as well as a deferment of loan repayments for at least six months, a moratorium on VAT payments to be introduced by Revenue and employer PRSI to be halved.
