Looking back over a year that has received so much dark and depressing comment it seems to me that the food and restaurant business in and around Galway did a good job in 2009, and in fact expanded in many cases. Also the quality and value available to us the punters has been going in the right direction, lots of early bird menus, mid week offers, free bottle of wine with takeaways over €40, coffees down to a more acceptable €2 in many places, wine list prices being revised downwards, etc. As regards the quality I think that places like The Twelve in Barna, Sheridan’s on the Docks, Artisan in Quay Street, The g Hotel, and Abalone are all producing serious food and most of them have special deals if you give them a call. Places like Basilico in Oranmore, while only in business less than two years, continue to pack the customers in with great prices and great food. Most takeaways are reporting an increase in business.
Gourmet Tart Company expanded during the year with a new outlet beside Tesco. KC Blake’s opened a new take-home dinner outlet in Oranmore. Two new fish shops opened; one in the Eyre Square Centre and one in Kilcolgan. The White Gables opened its take-home dinner shop and deli in Moycullen, and McCambridge’s revamped its shop in Shop Street with a new look and emphasis on takeaway gourmet sandwiches. Just before Christmas there was a new restaurant opened in Renmore called Miso (beside the Carlton Hotel ) and I wish them well. There is also a new Indian restaurant just opened in Oranmore where Pritom was located. Brazco opened a new outlet in Oranmore, and Providence opened a second restaurant in Clarinbridge.
Wine specialists O’Brien’s opened a Galway branch in the Galway Shopping Centre and we have also seen the expansion of country markets in Kinvara and Claregalway. These are just the places that come to mind and in times of recession it is not a bad picture.
Price is not everything but at the moment it is a very, very, big factor and that looks like continuing for 2010.
If you are considering a new business in the food/restaurant sector or are introducing any special offers, please send me an email and I will do what can to bring it to the attention of our readers here during 2010.
My email address is [email protected]
Have a happy and prosperous new year.
