Chefs shortage to blame as Daverns in Tipperary closes doors
'Sadly, today is our last day for a little while,' announced a spokesperson on Sunday, April 27. 'Due to extreme staff shortages, we are closing Daverns Bar and Kitchen.
'We hope to be back soon but in the meantime, if you were hoping to use a voucher, please call to Baileys and we will exchange your Daverns voucher for a Baileys one. Thank you for all the support since we opened, we hope to see you all again soon.'
Hopes are high that Daverns will re-open in the near future. Owner Dermot Delany, who also owns nearby Baileys Hotel bar and restaurant, told the Irish Independent that while Daverns has closed for now, it may reopen if chefs can be found.
'We were struggling with chefs in both places. We lost five in the last month,' said Mr Delaney. 'So I couldn't risk either place. I said I'd consolidate – bring all the staff out of Daverns down here. I've enough chefs. We will put our tables and chairs in front of Baileys and we're in full flight now for the next month or six weeks down here. We will work on re-grouping and getting more staff back up there.'
Mr Delaney said if the chefs can be found, it will be business as usual for Daverns. 'There is no financial issue involved. There is no supplier issue, no tax issue, it's just simply chefs.'
Mr Delaney said more could be done by Government to assist the hospitality sector. 'The VAT is crippling, and there is no encouragement for young people to go into cheffing. We're hoping to bounce back again fairly soon,' he added.
Customers have inundated the business with well wishes. Cashel-based councillor Declan Burgess said: 'Looking forward to seeing you back soon.'
Another customers said, 'Oh sorry to hear this, beautiful place to go for dinner. Hope you open up again soon,' while another said, 'Very sorry to hear this. A fab restaurant. Hope ye are back open again soon.'
During a discussion of Cashel's local area plan at Monday's meeting of Tipperary Cahir Cashel municipal district, Cllr Liam Browne said that unfortunately, a couple of businesses 'either shut their doors during the week in Cashel or are up for sale.'
'Towns are beginning to struggle and if we don't get local area plans where there's long term development, and we have some sort of vision on long term development, other businesses might start making the decision to not move into those empty units or move out of the units that they're in,' he said.
'There is massive opportunity I think in Cashel on the side nearest the motorway for increased development.'
Without a local area plan businesses will not have the confidence to make investments so the plan is urgently needed, he said.
Cllr Browne added in a statement that he was 'very sad' to hear the news that Daverns Bar and Kitchen has had to shut its doors due to staff shortages.
'Hopefully it won't be shut for long, as it's been a brilliant re-addition to the town in recent years, and no business wants to invest heavily and not stay open.
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'In the wider scheme of things, it's pointing once again to a very fragile economy, with people struggling in a cost of living crisis especially when it comes to renting or buying an affordable place to live.
'Rents are now beyond ordinary working peoples means, and that is contributing to staff shortages right across the local economy. 'We need to sort this out, and fast,' he added.
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