Self-pity and belief among many restaurateurs that they've a god-given right to succeed is grating

Judging by the noises coming from the Irish restaurant industry, you’d think the world was against them. The intense, desperate yearning that the Irish public have for eating out – our insatiable love of a three-course meal – has been cruelly blighted by a government whose sole job seems to be to keep star-crossed lovers apart.

What else can explain the endless series of interviews with chefs about the state of Irish restaurants and the imminent collapse of the industry?

Do you know what? I get it.

Restaurants have it tough. Most are set up to have people sitting close together, a situation that enhances the experience of eating out and is favoured by most diners.

The fact that many establishments will, in the short term, have to cater for fewer than half their usual number of diners will be a challenge.

However, buried in the acres of newsprint that have been devoted to the plight of restaurants in recent weeks was a short, revealing sentence.

The co-owner of Fire Restaurant on Dawson Street remarked on the increase in competition since he opened. In 2005, there were 600 Dublin restaurants listed on TripAdvisor; in 2020, there are more than 2,000.

For some reason, no one seems to have reflected on the fact that while the population of Dublin has grown by about 20pc, the number of restaurants looking for their custom has grown by 300pc, and this might create a difficulty.

They seem to view running a restaurant as akin to putting on an opera or an orchestral concert.

It won’t make money, but it’s essential in enriching our lives, so it shouldn’t be subject to the usual rules of business.

Because it’s a fun, creative thing to do and brings pleasure to others, I’m going to set up a restaurant, even though there are already too many of them.

Industry experts have called for subsidies, reductions in VAT, suspension of rents and forgiveness of debts.

It’s this self-pity, this belief among many restaurateurs that they have a god-given right to succeed regardless of any of the normal rules of supply and demand, that’s so grating.

What’s the different between a restaurant and, for example, a hair salon or a gym? If anyone sets up one of these businesse, and finds they can’t make money as they don’t have enough customers, do you hear them whining about how they shouldn’t have to pay VAT?

Even more illustrative of the problem facing restaurants, perhaps, is the publicity accompanying the recent reopening of McDonald’s.

Journalists and consumers have been falling over each other to express their delight at being able to stuff calorie-laden fare down their throats again, often queuing for hours for the privilege.

The fact that our love for food veers towards the mass-produced makes the message straightforward.

We’re not really in love with restaurants. In fact, we’re just not that into you.