HappyChef Daily · Today's restaurant news
Minimum Wage Rises To €14.94 As Malta Tourism Keeps Growing
- Ireland
- Malta
In Short
- Ireland's minimum wage goes up 79 cent to €14.94 an hour from 1 January 2027.
- Budget 2027 gives €15 million to rural pubs, while Dublin publicans say it does nothing for them.
- Hospitality insolvencies in Ireland fell 23% in the first nine months of the year, PwC says.
- Malta welcomed 539,655 tourists in August, up 14.7% on a year earlier.
- Malta's budget comes on 26 October; energy subsidies are expected to stay.
- Ta' Victor in Marsaxlokk closes in November, while Buddha-Bar opens in St Julian's on 29 October.
Ireland's Budget 2027 landed last Tuesday, and for restaurants the headline is the wage bill. The minimum wage rises again in January, and employer PRSI keeps creeping up.
In Malta, the summer was busy: tourist numbers and spending were up again in August. All eyes now turn to the budget on 26 October, while one much-loved Marsaxlokk restaurant says goodbye.
Minimum Wage Goes To €14.94 In January
Budget 2027 raises the national minimum wage from €14.15 to €14.94 an hour from 1 January 2027.
Employers get one small change on PRSI: the weekly pay threshold for the lower employer rate moves from €552 to €600. The rates themselves are not cut. They already rose on 1 October 2026, and another 0.15% rise is planned for October 2027.
The pay rise may also push more staff over the €20,000 threshold for auto-enrolment in the new pension scheme.
Sources: Parolla
Help For Rural Pubs, Worries Over Costs
The budget sets aside €15 million for rural pubs. The Vintners' Federation of Ireland welcomed it, noting that more than 2,200 pubs have closed since 2005.
The Licensed Vintners Association, which speaks for Dublin pubs, said the budget offers nothing for urban pubs. It criticised the wage rise and the lack of a cut in alcohol excise.
Ahead of the budget, a Clare hotelier pointed to a DCU study: from 2023 to 2026, electricity costs rose 61.7%, insurance 26.6% and labour 15.5%.
Sources: Hospitality Ireland, The Clare Champion
Fewer Insolvencies, More Fast-Food Visits
PwC figures show 23% fewer hospitality companies went out of business in the first nine months of the year. The 9% VAT rate for food businesses returned earlier in 2026.
Data from Meaningful Vision shows quick-service visits in Ireland rose 2.4% in the second quarter. Chicken outlets led with 9.3% more visits; coffee was the only segment to fall.
Pubs and restaurants grew visits by 1.4%, while their prices rose about 3.6%.
Sources: The Irish Times, Hospitality Ireland
A Donegal Goodbye And A Laois Reopening
Portnablagh · Cullohill · Ireland
The Cove Restaurant in Portnablagh, Co. Donegal, closes on 31 October after 25 years. Owners Siobhan Sweeney and Peter Byrne are retiring; the building has permission to become three homes.
In Cullohill, Co. Laois, O'Connell's Bar & Kitchen reopens on 16 October after a restoration backed by €290,000 from Fáilte Ireland. It is the pub where Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell first found their love of food.
Sources: Donegal Live, Irish Examiner
Malta's Tourists Keep Coming
Malta welcomed 539,655 inbound tourists in August, 14.7% more than a year earlier. Their total spending rose 14.9% to €629.3 million.
From January to August, arrivals reached almost 3.2 million, up 17.9%. Spending per visitor dipped slightly, from €956 to €937.
Sources: NSO Malta
Caruana: No VAT Or Income Tax Rise In The New Budget
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana presents Budget 2027 on 26 October. He has said he will not touch VAT, income tax or social security, but other fees or levies may change.
Fuel and electricity prices are expected to stay protected in 2027. The cost-of-living increase for workers is expected to be around €5 a week, though the final figure is not set.
Sources: Expatax Malta
Ta' Victor Closes, Buddha-Bar Opens, Chefs Meet In Valletta
Marsaxlokk · St Julian's · Valletta · Malta
Ta' Victor in Marsaxlokk will close this November after 18 years.
Buddha-Bar, the brand born in Paris in 1996, opens in St Julian's on 29 October with dining, cocktails and music.
Food on the Edge, an international food symposium, comes to Malta for the first time, at Fort St Elmo in Valletta on 19 and 20 October. Speakers include Simon Rogan and Maltese chefs such as Victor Borg and Letizia Vella. Group tickets cost €100 per person for two days.
Sources: Lovin Malta, Lovin Malta, Gazzetta di Malta
What Does This Mean For Your Restaurant?
For Irish owners, now is the time to plan January's rosters and menu prices around the new €14.94 rate and higher PRSI. In Malta, strong tourist numbers are good news, but wait for the budget on 26 October before setting next year's prices.
Sources
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