Wetherspoon's bullish over Irish expansion plans despite pub crisis

British pub group JD Wetherspoon has no intention of rowing back on ambitious expansion plans for its Irish operations, despite mounting concern for the future of the bar industry in Ireland due to the forced social interaction changes brought about by the Covid-19 crisis.

Many pubs across the country potentially face permanent closure due to the business impact of the virus, with many also doubtful about the viability of opening even with heavy service restrictions.