Dublin’s nightlife scene has long been associated with its lively pubs and bars. However, in recent years, an increasing number of non-alcoholic establishments have been popping up across the city, catering to those who want to socialize without the pressure to drink alcohol. One such establishment was The Virgin Mary, an alcohol-free bar located in the heart of Dublin. Unfortunately, after operating for just over two years, The Virgin Mary has announced that it will be closing its doors permanently. This news has come as a disappointment to many, particularly those who appreciated the unique and inclusive atmosphere that the bar provided. In this article, we explore the reasons behind The Virgin Mary’s closure and what this says about the future of alcohol-free socializing in Dublin.
The Virgin Mary, Dublin’s sole alcohol-free bar that served a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, has permanently closed after four years of operation. In an Instagram post, the bar announced its closure but divulged that the TVM Collective franchise would take the bar concept on the road with its “TVM On The Road” offering. The establishment was opened in 2019 by co-founders Vaughan Yates and Oisín Davis with the goal of providing an option for customers in Ireland trying to reduce their alcohol intake. The bar featured a unique range of non-alcoholic cocktails, beers, and wines; Vaughan Yates strongly believed that a non-alcoholic night could be just as enjoyable and hassle-free. Despite the closure, the concept can continue to have a presence at events, festivals, pop-ups, and more throughout Ireland.
As we bid farewell to Dublin’s only alcohol-free bar, we are reminded of the importance of providing inclusive spaces for all individuals to socialize and unwind. While it is unfortunate to see this establishment close its doors, it is important to continue advocating for more options and support for those seeking an alternative to alcohol consumption. Let us raise a glass (of non-alcoholic beverage) to the memories and positive impact of this unique bar, and to the hope for more innovative and inclusive spaces in the future.
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Understanding of the decision of the Volksbank – Glottertal
Volksbank Breisgau Nord is closing its branch in Glottertal. This is understandable, say the mayor and a local councilor. It is still a loss, especially for older people.
The Volksbank Breisgau-Nord is closing its branch in Talstrasse on May 31st. It withdraws completely from the village, leaving no ATMs or bank statement printers behind – unlike the Sparkasse Freiburg-Nördlicher Breisgau. A few years ago, they converted their office into a self-service area. However, Volksbank customers can withdraw money free of charge from the local Raiffeisenbank im Breisgau, which has its headquarters in Gundelfingen.
That it would come to this is not surprising, said Karl Josef Herbstritt in an interview with the BZ. “I’ve been expecting this for a long time.” Corona may have acted as a catalyst, which can also be observed in other areas, according to the Glottertler mayor.
“It’s a real shame for the community, especially for the elderly. An infrastructure mosaic is being lost.” The personal contact with a bank clerk behind the counter was a “social factor” for many and especially helpful for people with developing dementia. But he was happy that Volksbank customers could withdraw cash from the Raiffeisenbank.
Ultimately, he can understand the strategic decision of the Volksbank. “You have to have an understanding of the changed world and accept it as it is,” said the mayor. After all, most people use online banking and the office is no longer as busy. Discussions with customers requiring intensive consultation and larger banking transactions have already generally been carried out in Denzlingen. The bank made a similar argument to the Badische Zeitung.
The CDU councilor Claus Vorgrimler, who works for the savings bank, also shows understanding for the bank’s decision. “Of course it’s a shame for the place, but so much is now possible digitally that hardly anyone goes to a branch to do banking.” In principle, the supply of cash is the only reason why there are still local banks at all. And this service would be retained. He therefore assumes that local customers will be able to bear the withdrawal of the bank.
Because there has been a “blatant” loss of customers in recent years, a wide range of offers can hardly be justified from an economic point of view. Finally, there were at least two employees in one branch who were on site every day, according to Vorgrimler. However, he observes the increasing vandalism with concern, since there has recently been an increase in the number of demolitions and damage to ATMs.
It is still unclear how the rooms in Talstrasse that have now become vacant will be used in the future. The bank is keeping a low profile in this regard. Mayor Herbstritt said he hoped that the property, with two full floors and an attic, would be used commercially in the future. However, he has no information about the Volksbank’s plans. So far there has been a rental apartment in the bank’s own building, the other rooms are used by the bank.
Tables are taken out of the cafe – Kommersant Newspaper No. 235 (7436) of 12/19/2022
Signs of a serious crisis have appeared on the restaurant market: more and more establishments are closing and, on the contrary, fewer new ones appear. As a result, the total number of stores in the fourth quarter decreased by more than 10%. According to experts and market participants, the reason was the difficulty in purchasing the products, reduced traffic and mistakes in choosing locations. New investment is hampered by “general uncertainty” and the tenacity of landowners.
Since September 2022, the number of restaurant closures has started to grow sharply in Russia, according to a study by R-Keeper, an automation service for cafes and restaurants. Thus, in the fall the number of closures increased by 25.7%, while the number of openings decreased by 3.8% year on year. As a result, for the fourth quarter, the number of operating stores decreased by 10.4%. R-Keeper used data from cartographic services and closed sources for the calculations, but does not disclose absolute figures.
R-Keeper’s chief analyst Nikolai Oligerov believes the decline is due to the general autumn instability. The head of the CORE.XP retail department Marina Malakhatko speaks of a decline in revenue for a number of establishments due to the redistribution of consumer spending, which most affected outlets with an average check of 1-2 thousand rubles. RestCon CEO Elena Perepelitsa notes that even a slight decrease in traffic can become critical for catering establishments outside the central resorts.
The majority of closures have been recorded in the segments of cafes, pizza places, sushi bars, bakeries, and the pace of openings has decreased dramatically in street food establishments, bars and canteens, says R-Keeper.
The exception is fast food restaurants, where the number of openings exceeds the closures. Irina Burenko, commercial director of R4S Group, says street food and coffee shops accounted for 35% of rental transactions in the first quarter and 9% in the fourth. In the enterprise, this is associated with oversupply.
Artem Lomize, managing partner of the Moremania chain, says that there is a trend of consumers saving in establishments of the middle price segment. But development is held back not so much by the decrease in traffic as by general uncertainty, he underlines. Also, continues Mr. Lomize, the owners are in no hurry to reduce rates to fill vacancies. While downtime in malls is undesirable, an independent space owner can expect a long time to rent out the facility on his terms, he explains.
Shokoladnitsa group agrees that the year for the market was once again not the easiest, as the momentum of closures could increase. The group itself has opened more than 20 new locations this year, mostly its own, and the closures have been minimal and related to the inefficiency of outlets in specific locations.
Viktor EvtukhovDeputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in July 2020:
“There is no global chain of bankruptcies in the restaurant industry.”
Irina Kozina, director of street retail at NF Group, says 91 restaurants were opened in Moscow’s central shopping streets in January-November 2022 compared to 116 establishments in 2021. Pinskiy & Co restaurant group represented the most openings, he notes. According to Ms. Kozina, customers of high-priced establishments depend little on external factors, and competition between such restaurants is less. The founder of the StrEat project, Maxim Popov, says that two or three restaurant groups are opening establishments in Moscow, and most of them are waiting.
Igor Bukharov, president of the Federation of restaurateurs and hoteliers, points out that data from one service does not allow us to assess the big picture. According to him, in the overwhelming majority of cases, establishments are closed due to incorrectly chosen places, the inability to negotiate with the owners, management errors and many other reasons. Irina Kozina adds that some restaurateurs have probably not been able to adapt to the new conditions, including those related to the restructuring of the menu and the purchase of raw materials.
Artem Lomize says that Moremania has begun to pay more attention to the location of potential objects, as the price of an incorrectly chosen location is “extremely high.” Shokoladnitsa Group plans to open new coffee shops in 2023 according to the previously scheduled schedule. As Maxim Popov points out, a recovery in the pace of discovery is possible after a period of relative stability.
Anatoly Kostyrev, Alina Savitskaya, Alexandra Mertsalova