'It helps to be transparent': Cork restaurateur shares costs breakdown with customers as closures rise 

As rising expenses eat further into profit margins, a growing cohort of small businesses are shining a light on the costs of their operations

Andrew Loane cleaning the street outside Oak Fire Pizza. Picture Dan Linehan

In the last six months of 2023, almost 300 food businesses in Ireland shut their doors for good. As profit margins thin further in what is already a tight market, restaurants and cafes across the country are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to costs. 

Prices continue to increase across Irish food businesses, with annual inflation across restaurants up by 7.3% in January this year, according to latest Central Statistics Office figures.