The owner of the Bankers Bar in Dublin is expecting to see an increase in indoor hospitality over the coming months but not at the expense of the recently created scaffolding and outdoor facilities created on Ireland's streets.
With the weather due to change, Ireland's pubs and restaurants are likely to see more demand for tables indoors, but speaking with The Mirror, Alan Campbell believes that outdoor dining will remain an important part of the hospitality sector.
Mr Campbell said: "100%, any place that has done any sort of solid structural work in their beer garden, car parks, or other available space will keep them. Let's face it, this is going to be a part of our business going forward.
"When you look at the likes of Capel Street and Parliament Street, what they've done at those places is fantastic. But a lot of that is very weather dependent and they're not going to get away within the depths of winter because people want places with heating etc.
"A lot of the pubs in the suburbs have done an unbelievably fantastic job and you feel like you're actually inside. They will really prosper and it's going to be a huge part of their business going forward, it really will."
Pubs and restaurants are currently allowed to provide indoor service to anyone that has been fully vaccinated or can show that they've adequately recovered from Covid.
While the summer weather has been largely positive - despite a few standard rain-soaked days - Mr Campbell believes that dining and drinking on pedestrianised streets will be harder to maintain, due to the weather.
He added: "What we have found from speaking to other publicans is that there's still that sort of hesitancy from a lot of people to dine indoors, a lot of people still prefer to be outside but that's great because it's sort of given us a double-whammy of people inside and outside. A lot of people who are fully vaccinated and are still choosing to sit outside too, it's a bit of both. With the change in the weather now in the next few weeks might change that a bit with more people coming inside than out. In terms of where customers are seating, it's about a 70/30 mix in favour of outside.
"Going forward, outside service is going to be a huge part of our business. We've really enjoyed having people outside - we have the laneway there - and it's been great. We haven't got a massive amount of space but we're making whatever use of the space that we can use.
"Dublin City council and Dublin Town have been fantastic in facilitating a lot of places around the area. I know the DCCC get a lot of bad press in certain areas of what they're doing, but they have been actually very understanding and sympathetic towards small bars and restaurants and cafes around the city. They probably don't get enough recognition."
However, with the updated Covid roadmap to be published on August 31, it's expected that the hospitality sector will be given a new set of rules that will cater for the colour months ahead.
Dr Tony Holohan will chair a meeting of NPHET on Wednesday before the expert group shares advice with the government ahead of a big decision on lockdown easing.
This could therefore mean the end of Covid vaccine certificates at pubs and restaurants by the start of October.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed that he expects all remaining restrictions are set to be lifted before Christmas - including the reopening of nightclubs.
Mr Campell has called on the government and Failte Ireland to extend the opening hours for pubs and restaurants, which currently see last orders at 11.30pm.
He said: "We are going to see a decline in the weather over the next few weeks, that's only natural. More and more people will start to come inside and we definitely need the proper trading hours back. I really don't see the point in the trading hours at the moment, having everybody just getting up off their chairs and onto busses and taxis all at the same time either, it doesn't really make sense.
"There's no need for it and people are going around scratching their heads at 11 o'clock because you have to have everybody off the street at half 11. , you'd really have to start breaking stuff down sort of past 10.
"If we have the proper trading times, people can stay that little bit longer and it would mean more staggered times for people going home. Everybody won't be out on the streets at the same time, it makes more commercial sense and let the late bars open up too, get them back trading. There's no reason why a late bar can't open if everybody's vaccinated."
While pubs and restaurants continue to operate with restrictions in place, the owner of the Bankers Bar is optimistic about the future of the industry and believes that it is resilient.
"It's absolutely in a better shape. Granted, it's nowhere near what it was - at best, most places will probably be trading at almost 70% of what they were doing his time two years ago - but in the end, it's still good. The financial supports have helped businesses and kept a lot of places open, it's been very welcome.
"Irish people are very resilient. They want to get back to normal as quickly as possible and I definitely see green shoots happening for the hospitality industry going forward. Let's get concerts back, get the economy back and the nightlife going again. That will all add to the atmosphere," he said.
Ahead of the government's announcement next week, the Licenced Vintners Association (LVA) has called on the government to allow the return of the use of the bar counter.
The LVA is also asking for capacity limits to return to the pre-pandemic level, normal trading hours to resume and for customers to be allowed to move around pubs – including standing, mingling and even dancing.
However, in terms of the recent changes and regulations, Mr Campbell has said that the need to scan Covid certs is quite easy but time-consuming too.
"In actual fact, it's quite easy to do. The only thing is, it's very time consuming for a business. You nearly need a member of staff dedicated just to standing at the door to do this.
"Most places like ourselves are so tight for staff at the moment, It's very hard to get someone and you nearly have to have someone's full time at the door, taking the details, scanning certs because even if you have a table of four, you still have to get the name of the person and the phone number for contact details as well for tracing and it's very time-consuming," he said.
