A restaurant that has been running for just over four years is making a last-ditch attempt to try and get people through its doors, or it will have to close for good. They have done all they can to avoid upping the costs during the cost of living crisis, and now they’re cutting 10% off people’s bills to make up for inflation.
The family-run Dockside Bar and Grill in Porthcawl has been open since November, 2018, and has around 11 members of staff. The restaurant’s owner, Julia Jones said: “People are not coming out- they can’t afford to come out. But we need a certain amount coming in to keep people in their jobs.
“Giving them an extra 10% off might encourage them to pay a visit but people have really been struggling. They’ve not been able to hold their birthday or Christmas meals here as they normally might because they just haven’t got the money there.
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“Basically we’re just trying to help out the community and if we don’t get people coming in then we can’t afford to run the business.”
Considering how long the restaurant can feasibly go on as it currently stands, Julia said: “Realistically we’ve got until the end of February or March but if we don’t see an improvement that will be it. Hopefully things will pick up but if we don’t see a turn around pretty sharply then there’s nothing we can do.”
It has been a rollercoaster few years for businesses in Porthcawl and the rest of Wales, after the Covid-19 pandemic turned the way hospitality works upside down. And things haven’t been getting much better due to the price of almost everything going up.
Julia noted: “During the Elvis festival everything was going really well but after the festival we did start to notice that things were slowing down a bit and thinking this must just be because of the time of year. But then Christmas came around this year and people were very reluctant to come out and spend their money.”
Julia believes she has unfinished business running the restaurant in Porthcawl, and still has a positive vision for what she can do there in the future. She said: “We haven’t been here that long, but we’ve still managed to become a part of the community and have got some good regulars.
“We really want to become embedded in the community even more, and build up a relationship with the locals. We know it’s not just us as loads of other businesses are struggling to get people in- it’s a very difficult time.”
The restaurant, despite being relatively new has still made quite the impression on the area, and has even become a 2023 Good Food Award blue ribbon winner, and boasts a 4.5 star rating on Tripadvisor.
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