Victory for Open golf fans as Portrush restaurant backs down on price hikes

Padraig Harrington of Ireland watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during a practice round at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Antrim, ahead of The 153rd Open Championship. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

A Portrush restaurant chain has been forced to back down on huge price increases after complaints from visitors to the Open. The Ramore Restaurant Group suffered a combination of furious online backlash and ridicule after hiking the price of a chicken pasta dish from £14.95 to £27.95 for Open week.

AI generated images online showed local heroes Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke cleaning dishes, alongside commentary suggesting this is what they would have to do to pay a restaurant bill.

The company owns Portrush’s Harbour Bar, Ramore Wine Bar, Basalt and Neptune and Prawn. At the Ramore Wine Bar, a chicken and bacon burger rose in price from £7.95 to £17.95. The operators blamed increased costs associated with the Open as cause for the situation.

With more than 275,000 spectators expected in town for the Open, price changes would not be regarded as unusual but the scale of Ramore’s alterations drew sharp focus.

In a statement, the Ramore Group said it was “aware of recent conversations around pricing during the Open” and as a result had “revised and adjusted” menus immediately.

The statement added: “As a family-run business proud to be part of the Portrush community, our goal throughout this week is to deliver the best possible experience and ensure safety for those visiting.

“In anticipation of the large influx of guests, we’ve employed over 30+ agency staff to support our kitchens and front-of-house teams, 30+ security personnel operating around the clock to ensure everyone’s safety and more than 20 entertainers performing across our six venues seven days a week.

“We have simply been investing more as a business for our customers to ensure enjoyment and safety. Which of course creates additional business bills. We would also like to remind people that there is a family behind this business. 

"A family who are involved every day, trying their very best, and reading every single comment. Everyone can make mistakes, however nobody deserves slander and hatred.” 

The Northern Ireland assembly member, Cara Hunter, told the BBC: “I think that even if some messaging had been put out to say that prices were increasing, it might have been a little less shocking. I also understand Ramore’s perspective on this.”

— The Guardian