HappyChef Daily · Today's restaurant news
A Dublin Office Block Could Become A 225-Room Hotel
- Ireland
- Malta
In Short
- An investor wants to knock down an empty Dublin office block on Golden Lane and build a 225-room hotel.
- Irish visitor attractions have a new five-year plan, with staff at 54% of their running costs.
- Fast-food chains fell sharply in an Irish customer experience ranking.
- Food inflation in Malta reached 3.4% in September, mostly because take-aways cost more.
- Malta had the second-highest tourism intensity in the EU in 2025, with 21.7 nights per resident.
In Dublin, hotels are winning the fight for sites that were once meant for offices. A new plan on Golden Lane shows why.
In Malta, new numbers show what guests pay for food and how busy the islands are with tourists. Business also wants the budget to look at wages and output.
An Empty Office Near George's Street May Turn Into Rooms
German investor KGAL has asked Dublin City Council for permission to demolish its office block at 31-36 Golden Lane. It wants to build a midmarket hotel with 225 rooms in its place.
The building has been empty since its tech tenant moved out in 2025. KGAL says new offices, 59 apartments or 160 student beds would not pay off on this site.
The application points to summer occupancy above 90% at seven nearby Dublin hotels. Other developers near the IFSC and Ballsbridge are also swapping offices for hotels.
Sources: The Irish Times
Ireland's Attractions Want Help With Costs And AI
AVEA, the body for Irish visitor attractions, launched a five-year strategy at its conference in the National Gallery. Its 140-plus members welcome over 25 million visitors a year.
Staff make up 54% of what attractions spend to run. AVEA will build a benchmarking dashboard, an AI academy and a cost of doing business index.
Its chair said visitor numbers this year are flat. The group regrets that the 9% VAT rate for tickets was not in the Budget.
Sources: Irish Examiner
Burger And Chicken Chains Lose Ground With Irish Customers
In a new Irish ranking of customer experience, restaurants and fast food fell from second to fifth place among sectors. It was the only sector whose average score went down.
Several big chains dropped dozens of places. Customers mentioned food quality, slower service, wrong or cold orders, prices and smaller portions.
Sources: The Irish Times
Take-Away Prices Push Malta's Food Inflation Up
Malta's annual inflation rose to 2.9% in September, from 2.6% in August, the NSO says. Food added the most to the rise.
Food prices were 3.4% higher than a year ago, mainly because take-aways got dearer. Energy prices did not change, so that group stayed at 0%.
Sources: TVMnews
Malta Is Second In The EU For Tourist Nights Per Resident
Eurostat counted 21.7 nights in tourist accommodation per Maltese resident in 2025. Only Croatia was higher, with 24.5. The EU average was 7.
Across the EU, nights in tourist accommodation rose 4.1% to 3.1 billion. Visitors from Asia and Africa grew the fastest.
Sources: The Malta Independent
The Chamber Says Pay Rises Faster Than Output
Marthese Portelli, head of the Chamber of Commerce, says wages rise about 4% a year while productivity barely moves. Jobs grew over 22%, but productivity only 0.2%.
Ahead of the budget, she wants faster permits for skilled foreign workers and lower tax for companies that follow the rules. In tourism, she wants Malta to aim for guests who spend more.
Sources: Illum
A New Press For Maltese Olive Oil Opens In Rabat
Family firm BSS Ltd has opened an olive processing plant in Rabat, worth over €930,000 and partly paid by EU farm funds.
About 2,000 farms and growers are expected to use it each year. That could mean more local oil for kitchens that like to buy Maltese.
Sources: TVMnews
What Does This Mean For Your Restaurant?
Dublin keeps getting more hotel rooms, so hotel owners there should watch rates and staffing. For quick-service owners, the ranking is a reminder that guests notice cold food and slow service.
In Malta, take-away prices are already rising. If the budget does not tackle wages and output, margins will stay tight.
Sources
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