A beloved cafe in Baldoyle is battling to stay open due to high electricity bills amid the cost of living crisis, with its owner calling for more support form the Government to help cafes and restaurants.
The Hot Sandwich Company opened four years ago in Baldoyle. They serve delicious sandwiches, salads, cupcakes, coffee and pastries.
Owner Margaret Flanagan told Dublin Live that they opened at Christmas in 2018, having wanted to open a cafe in Baldoyle for many years. According to Margaret, they are very busy in the cafe on a daily basis but the last few years have been tough, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic. She said: "It's been tough, year one is the growing stage for any business then year two was Covid. So the two years of Covid were really hard.
Read more: Vegan Sandwich Co announces closure of all Dublin shops due to cost of living
"I would say we probably nearly lost the business the first summer of Covid. Between borrowing and being very careful we managed to hang on. But now unfortunately trading has become very difficult again with the higher electricity costs....landlords are trying to increase rents because they couldn't during the Covid period," said Margaret.
The Baldoyle woman feels that the Government should be doing more to help cafes and restaurants. "We're going to need more support and even possibly VAT removed from our electricity bills, it's too much," she said.
Margaret described how there are now great cafes and restaurants open in the capital, and that Dublin is now "a Mecca for food". "Unfortunately I think the industry has been paying the price for a lot of what's being going on, and some of that is bad governance unfortunately.
"But I think there are beautiful restaurants and cafes at the moment, family and friends of mine, who are closing down who have a great products and customers and love what they do. They're enhancing and enriching communities, like before we came here this was a derelict empty building, it brings a sense of community."
Margaret said at the moment that customers and business owners are "very worried" about money. She also feels that cafes and restaurants are being "left behind" and that the government is "not paying attention the way they should be."
She said: "I can't take the costs rising on every angle and losing my business that I've worked so hard for. I'm 26 years in this business and I've seen recession in Germany and Ireland, Covid was interesting but we managed it.
"It's not a fair level playing field anymore and I believe it's partly down to the Government, they are not doing what they need to be doing and forgetting that cafes and restaurants have been paying for Covid. Nobody should be closing down at the moment when they have a great business, great customers and great food."
The Hot Sandwich Company is located at 41a Sweetman House, Balydoyle.
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