Beshoff Bros announces temporary closure after videos of long queues appear online

James Fenton

Beshoff Bros has announced its temporary closure after videos of long queues outside the Howth establishment emerged online yesterday.

Fish and chip shop Beshoff Bros has announced that it will close until further notice following criticism of long queues forming in Howth yesterday when people were supposed to be social distancing.

https://twitter.com/fitzgeraldshome/status/1241782345205780483

A statement on social media says that ‘We are sorry to announce that we will be closing our stores until further notice for any walk-in customers. You will still be able to order for Delivery through UberEats or OrderYoyo.’

It adds that ‘We know that this has been an incredibly difficult time for all of our staff. We wanted to thank all of our staff who have been working hard to try and provide for our local communities and we’d like to thank our customers for their support during this difficult time. We hope that everyone stays safe and healthy and we hope to open our doors to you all very soon.’

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-EqZD6Hmq3/

Before the weekend, Beshoff Bros issued a post outlining a number of measures including encouraging customers to only pay by card and two keep two metres apart.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B99GVPWHUab/

Beshoff Bros general manager Bridget Starbuck told the Irish Times that “The amount of abuse we have been getting since last night has been disheartening. It’s incredibly difficult because the staff did not want to go out and talk to people who were shouting abuse back. We had marked the areas where people had to stand. They had to stand behind yellow lines. If I look at our own cameras, people were keeping their distances. I don’t think we should be targeted. I don’t think it is right when the beaches and everything else was full.”

Meanwhile, seafood restaurant Beshoffs of Howth has moved to distance itself from criticism, saying ‘We would like to notify the public, our followers on social media and our customers that we have been falsely accused of being the food establishment that had queues outside with no social distancing yesterday.

‘We are not that business, and we have no connection to any other shops, or takeaways in Howth or elsewhere. We trade as Beshoffs of Howth and we are seafood restaurant, wholesale seafood supplier and retail fishmonger, we are not the takeaway that trades as Behoff Bros. Our seafood restaurant has been closed since March 16.’

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-FFcGnHLTT/