Pub group JD Wetherspoon warns slow recovery from latest restrictions may hurt Irish growth plans 

Ireland has been the area of greatest sales decline for the group, due to the longest duration of lockdowns, said JD Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin.

JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said the company is 'continually on the lookout for new sites' in Ireland.

British pub group JD Wetherspoon has warned that its Irish expansion plans may be negatively impacted if trading levels across the hospitality sector don’t quickly return to pre-Covid levels once current restrictions are eased in the coming weeks.

Speaking on the back of a trading update indicating the group made a loss in the first half of its financial year due to Covid restrictions in the UK and Ireland, Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said publicans have become more cautious, and cash flows are negative across the industry, meaning it could be “a long path to recovery”.

“It will slow down our plans [for Irish expansion] unless there is a quick return to pre-pandemic sales levels,” said Mr Martin.

"Ireland has been our most heavily restricted trading area, and the area with the longest duration of lockdowns. It is, therefore, the area of greatest sales decline — in spite of stiff competition from Wales and Scotland. Even so, the potential for recovery is great. 

The biggest danger, a real one, is that people will have got out of the habit of a few jars in the pub.”

Wetherspoon has nine pubs in the Republic — across Dublin, Cork, and Carlow — with openings planned in Limerick, Waterford, and Galway. In Dublin alone, it is in the midst of rolling out a large expansion, where it has spent around €50m on developments in recent years.

Last year Mr Martin said Wetherspoon has “enjoyed great success” in Ireland and is “continually on the lookout for new sites”.

The group said its like-for-like sales — mainly generated in the UK — fell nearly 12% in the 25 weeks to last weekend, with the second quarter hurt by restrictions.