Food heaven

THERE’S no room for the faint-hearted in the restaurant game these days.

After a decade where business thrived with packed dining rooms and glamorous new openings every week, the industry has now come full circle with closures and cutbacks the unpalatable specials on the menu of 2011.

Last month, the Irish Restaurants Association revealed that one restaurant is going out of business each day — a figure they predict could rise further resulting in a possible €700 million loss to the economy as well as putting 21,000 jobs at risk. The association added that 80% of Irish restaurants are running at a loss.