Irish restaurateurs have been branded "greedy" by one of their own number, as the Dublin restaurant scene faces further upheaval with the closure of two well-known operations.
Cooke's Event Company, a catering enterprise that operated caf‚s in Dublin's National Museum and Museum of Modern Art, and Duzy's Café in Glasthule have both ceased trading.
James Grimes, executive chef of Clancy's of Cork, which serves 3,500 meals a week, said: "Restaurateurs are being greedy at a time when trading is very challenging. In the marketplace, people are looking at their wallets, and pizza parlours are proving better value for money."
He believes that restaurants should be looking to cut their costs. "We have full-time staff involved in purchasing to get the maximum out of the money we spend," he said.
The closures have heightened the sense of nervousness and uncertainty being felt in the sector because of the economic downturn, said Henry O'Neill, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland. He cited the rising costs of wages, raw materials, insurance, safety training and waste disposal as factors contributing to current difficulties.
"There is little room for profit in this business," he claimed, warning that restaurants at the top end of the market are finding things particularly tough. "The corporate market has shrunk significantly - spending money just isn't fashionable any more."
Cooke's is owned by high-profile chef John Cooke, whose city-centre eatery, Cooke's Café, closed last year. The owner of Duzy's, French-born Stephane Couzy, blamed rising overheads and falling trade. Its overheads averaged €8,300 (£5,700), while recent turnover had fallen to about €7,500 (£5,200) per week. The restaurant had a staff of 10.
A further recent casualty of the downturn was the Commons restaurant on Dublin's St Stephen's Green, former holder of a Michelin star.