The Local of Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, has undergone a revamp.
Details
Husband-and-wife owners Donnchadh and Helena introduced tapas and brought their menu online with a click-and-collect service during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The couple have removed TV screens from the bar, redone the toilets, the bar and dining layout, and added a new outdoor heated dining area.
The Local now features lunch, evening and weekend menus with locally sourced ingredients, and seafood is a focal point.
The venue is open seven days a week and can be found at Grattan Square in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, with traditional music being at the fore of the venue due to Donnchadh being a player of both the uilleann pipes and bodhrán, and touring the world with the band Danú, as one of its founding members.
Statement
Helena stated, “While Covid lockdowns were incredibly difficult for the pub trade, we knew that we had a popular food offering – it was something we never pushed, and the lockdown gave us the opportunity to revisit that, look at the entire business offering, and really place a lot of attention on […] an area of the business that is a huge passion for me.
“We were blown away by the response that we received and thought perhaps it was an initial novelty, but no, we had repeat customers week after week and actually sold out every night. It was far busier than we ever expected – so much so that we decided to reposition our entire business offering from a pub focus to food, and now – since lockdowns have lifted – this focus remains in place, and we couldn’t be happier about that decision.”
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