Delivery delays and a drop in footfall are hitting businesses in the capital amid the fuel protests
A staff member at O’Connell’s pub on Bachelors Walk said they were down to their last keg of Guinness by lunchtime on Thursday.
Businesses of all kinds were struggling to get restocked as a result of the protests that have brought Dublin city centre to a standstill.
At O’Connell’s, the barman said they have been working with neighbouring pubs and businesses to help keep each other stocked and were willing to “roll the kegs” in if it came to that.
At The Grand Social, beside the Ha’penny Bridge, publican Tommy O’Brien told the Irish Independent that Thursday was due to be their delivery day, but nothing arrived.
“No delivery has come in, no delivery, no beer. We will be OK for today, but will we have enough for the weekend? I don’t know,” he said.
“Staff have to be paid, it is absolutely a worry. Hopefully it gets resolved in the next day or two.”
If you’re a small business and no one is coming in, you’re not paying rent or your bills
Sources said Guinness deliveries have been made this week, but that does not tally with what some publicans said they have experienced on the ground.
In the meantime, many customers are staying away from town.
“The footfall is way down. There is no traffic coming down the quay and the buses can’t get across,” Mr O’Brien said.
The situation is piling pressure on small city-centre businesses, he said.
“If you’re a small business and no one is coming in, you’re not paying rent or your bills. You wouldn’t be too happy about it,” he said.
He was hopeful a deal to end the protests would be reached, but said that it would require engagement by both sides.
“Maybe they (the protesters) could’ve done it differently, but that’s what politicians get paid for,” he added.
At the Arlington Hotel on Bachelors Walk, the protest has been a mixed blessing, as some of the protesters have booked into the hotel.
However, manager Mags Shannon said beer was not being delivered.
“Alcohol deliveries from the likes of Diageo and Heineken are supposed to be today, but so far, we haven’t gotten anything,” she said.
“We are a big premises and have stock, but how long we can last is a guessing game.
“We have a sister property that we have had to taxi the stock from.”
Publicans in Dublin fear they will run out of Guinness an beer if the fuel protests continue. Photo: Getty
News in 90 seconds – Thursday, April 9
Ms Shannon said some of the protesters had been in for food and lodgings.
“We have had a lot of protesters come in for breakfast. I had lads from Louth who came in for breakfast and then came in for dinner last night. This morning we served about 30 breakfasts,” she said.
Other businesses in the area said they were not receiving deliveries.
The Rolling Donut at the bottom of O’Connell Street said milk and other products, such as packaging and coffee cups, were not being delivered.
“The last delivery for milk was two days ago,” a staff member said.
“We have had to buy milk in the shops, which is more expensive.
“If there is no delivery, it is going to be very bad for business, because we have to order larger products such as packaging.”
People are just not coming into town. They can’t get in on the bus or Luas
Maurice Doyle, the manager at Banba Toymaster on Mary Street, said there were no deliveries and that footfall had reduced over the last few days.
“We’ve had a number of deliveries cancelled. I suppose it’s more the logistics companies who don’t want to be stuck in traffic and wasting petrol,” he said.
“Over the last two days, there has been a decrease in footfall. People are just not coming into town. They can’t get in on the bus or Luas.”
At The Bakehouse cafe on Bacherlors Walk, a manager said sales were down 20pc to 30pc since the protests in the city centre began.
In response to the protests, Dublin City Council said it “would like to remind the public that the city centre remains open for business, despite disruption caused by the current fuel protests”.
“The council’s traffic control room is actively monitoring the location of the protests and the impact that they are having on traffic,” it said.
“Vehicle movements are impaired in the city core, with O’Connell Street continuing to be completely blocked.
“Where it is possible, adjustments are being made to the traffic signals via our traffic-management system to keep movement through the network as smooth as possible.
“Throughout the demonstration, we have remained in contact with bus and Luas operators to provide assistance as required. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”