Michelin star chef hits out at lack of clarity on takeaway dining

JP McMahon: 'From a mental health perspective, it’s about having a business and seeing that livelihood start to come back.' Picture: Ed Scholfield/PA

Galway chef and restaurateur JP McMahon has hit out at the lack of clarity on takeaway eating, with some businesses being told to remove outdoor tables and chairs for takeaway customers while others are not.

The owner of three eateries in Galway City, including the Michelin star Aniar, took to social media over the weekend to express his frustrations and the inconsistent approach being adopted by gardai on the issue.

The good weather has seen several businesses, including fast-food outlets and filling stations, providing outdoor seating for takeaway customers, while some businesses are being advised they cannot facilitate outdoor eating.

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Mr McMahon said he sought clarification from gardaí and 10 TDs but, unable to get any answers, he took the decision over the weekend to provide two tables and four chairs for takeaway customers outside his Tartare café and wine bar.

“It seems to be very confused and my frustration comes from the fact that nobody seems to have an answer,” he said, questioning why fast-food outlets and petrol stations were being treated differently to cafes and restaurants.

“We can’t wait for outside dining to begin at the end of May when half of the country seems to be ignoring the law and there doesn’t seem to be any clarity. I think the Government need to respond and clarify the issue,” he added.

Mr McMahon said facilitating takeaway customers was more about giving hospitality businesses a much-needed boost than making a profit: “It’s not about making money. From a mental health perspective, it’s about having a business and seeing that livelihood start to come back.

 “We’ve been closed since December. It is very hard because your identity is very much wrapped up in your business, particularly if you’re an SME or independent and it’s a challenge to get up and go every day when your livelihood is not really there,” he said, adding that just one of his three businesses is open for takeaway at the moment.

Just a quick update. We had 4 chairs and 2 tables outside @tartaregalway yesterday. People enjoyed their takeaway food. We didn't serve them. Seems to be standard practice now. Particularly at beaches. Many restaurants and cafés doing it and no response from Garda @adriancummins

— Dr. Jp McMahon (@mistereatgalway) April 26, 2021

Mr McMahon's comments come as scenes emerged from Galway and Dublin over the weekend showing large crowds of people gathering in public spaces, prompting calls from some in the hospitality sector to accelerate plans for outdoor dining.

Over the weekend Taoiseach Micheál Martin also signalled that outdoor activities would be one of the key themes of the summer, as the country emerges from lockdown.

Mr McMahon said outdoor dining, where customers are served by staff, may have to “wait a bit” but said takeaway customers should be allowed to eat outdoors.

“The Government don’t want 50 people sitting outside a restaurant but we saw a couple of hundred gathering in Salthill at the weekend. Surely 10 people outside a restaurant is better than 50 people on a beach drinking,” he said.

The prominent chef also told the Irish Examiner that outdoor dining was “not a solution” for all restaurants and cafes and, ideally, the hospitality sector needed eight weeks notice to prepare for a return to indoor dining this summer.

“I’m looking forward to having outside dining as a respite but there is no economic basis to it. I can’t bring in staff to serve four people outside. It is going to create a two-tier system.” 

“We’re assuming that we’ll be open at the start of July and we’re planning and hiring on that basis. We’ve made that plan because we can’t wait and be left with four weeks notice and everything being a rush,” he said, adding that many staff had left the industry or country.

He also warned that many hospitality businesses were close to “folding” and will face a “make or break” scenario this winter once government financial supports come to an end.

“Hospitality is going to have a very difficult winter. We’re hoping for a kind of honeymoon period of indoor dining in July and August but after that after that I think the winter will make or break a lot of places,” he said.