IRELAND UPDATE

On hand to help support our members

Written by Alan Cruite General Manager Ireland

With 2023 well underway, it is great to see many of our hospitality members, across restaurants and hotels, seeing demand return to levels comparable with those of 2019 before the pandemic. However, as we know, this strong return comes against volatile operating costs, food inflation and continuing supply chain issues.

Hotel challenges

In hospitality, there are various challenges, including continuing pressure on finding staff. Government use of hotels in Ireland for temporarily accommodating refugees means that there is also limited bed space in some markets. On the positive side, forward bookings for the tourist season are strong, with hotels looking forward to a continued return of travellers from the US.

Energy price spikes are easing; however, volatility in this marketplace remains a worry for many businesses, mainly if they are coming toward the end of a fixed-term contract and have been paying historically lower rates.

Additionally, the situation has encouraged more businesses to pay closer attention to green issues, notably energy efficiency. We're on hand with various ways to support clients, from providing flexible contracts which moderate market fluctuations to finding ways to cut consumption.

drivers will often happily spend money on food and beverages if they can find an amenable place to stop and charge their vehicle. We continue to help our members understand these opportunities and trends.

Attending events

There's pressure

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smarter to meet the increase in customers whilst operating with limited staff. The Trinity team is on hand to provide our members with the latest solutions and technology needed to help reduce these pressures.

Helping ease rising energy prices

One effect of the war in Ukraine has been significantly higher energy prices and the threat of supply disruption.

EV charging opportunities

Another area starting to impact hospitality is the growth of electric vehicle use. For hotels and restaurants, this growth means accommodating and encouraging EV drivers to visit by installing charging infrastructure.

While there is an upfront cost to charger installations, members can earn a new revenue stream from providing charging stations. And EV

The Trinity Ireland team has been busy attending various events to help support operators in person. At the CATEX Event in February hosted in Dublin, we partnered with the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance (IFSA) to provide a new Hospitality Cost Clinic, where we met with operators, learned more about their business's challenges, and were able to advise on solutions and recommendations for savings.

We also attended the Irish Hotels Federation Show and the Celie Care Event in March to showcase how we can help reduce costs and free up time for hospitality and nursing home operations. We look forward to these events because seeing familiar faces and meeting so many new ones is great!