British pub group JD Wetherspoon is considering opening bars in Irish airports as part of its long-term expansion plans for Ireland.
Talking to The Irish Examiner, Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said, "In the long-term, [we'd look at] any busy area within the Republic, including airports."
Aiming To Operate Approximately 30 Venues In Ireland
Wetherspoon has a long-term plan to operate approximately 30 venues in Ireland. At present, the pub group has seven venues in Ireland, with a small number of new venues in various stages of development, including two in Dublin that were due to open this year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. However, Martin said that it is not profitable to develop new sites from scratch at present due to the impact of the pandemic, but stated that there is scope for the group to open more pubs in Cork, where it currently operates one venue.
Possible Job Cuts At UK Airport Bars
Martin's revelation that Wetherspoon is considering opening bars in Irish airports follows news from earlier this week that the group could cut 400 to 450 jobs at its sites at six of the UK's airports due to the decrease in passenger numbers that has been caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
© 2020 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
