Limerick businessman fears for future after parklets removed without warning

A LIMERICK businessman has said he fears for the future of his business after council officials attempted to remove a parklet from outside his premises without warning.

Jono Crute has run craft beer bar Crew Brew at Thomas Street in Limerick city centre since September 2020.

When he arrived at his premises at around nine o'clock Tuesday morning, he found council workers working on removing the build-out, which was installed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

READ MORE: 'Bittersweet decision': Family-run County Limerick business to close its doors after half a century

This was done in order to encourage outdoor dining and drinking at a time when social distancing was required due to the pandemic.

However, since then, Mr Crute says the parklet has become vital to his trade.

"It represents about 25% of our revenue, the people sitting outside. This business loses money in the winter months and recoups it in the summer months," he said.

The bar owner contacted the local authority and, with the support of Social Democrats councillors Shane Hickey-O'Mara and Elisa O'Donovan, managed to halt the removal of the structure.

While it remained in situ this Wednesday morning, Mr Crute said he is concerned it might still be taken away.

He said he was told that there will be fresh plans for the street, including potentially widening the footpaths.

But he added without the certainty, he might have to close his firm, with the loss of 10 jobs

"This would end my business without a doubt. What I cannot do is lose money over the winter without the certainty that the summer will be the summer we expect and we will have the infrastructure we expect for the entire time we have been in business," he said.

Council said in a statement it has commenced a removal programme for the build-outs, which were installed five years ago as a temporary measure.

Limerick Live has noted the disappearance of these parklets from outside a number of other hospitality outlets in the city centre.

"The structures were intended to last for one year, but the council allowed them to remain for an extended period in response to requests from local businesses. The council has been monitoring the condition of the structures and also received submissions from the public about their deteriorating condition. It became clear that the timbers in the structures were failing in these parklets, and they were posing a risk to public safety," they added.

The council spokesperson said they had received complaints about littering and anti-social behaviour.

"The council has had continuous engagement with the owners of businesses adjacent to these structures, which are located in public spaces," the spokesperson added.

Mr Crute said there has been "zero contact whatsoever" from the local authority.

"I think when you have people's businesses, employment and their lives at stake, it requires advanced communication. I cannot turn around and tell me staff we are gone in two weeks, if they remove the infrastructure which allows us to operate," he told Limerick Live.

"We need to be able to plan out a closing and inform our staff to give them plenty of time. If the removal is unavoidable, a reasonable approach would have been to inform us and have a chance to hear from us how vital it is to the survival of our business," he said.

He acknowledged while some of the build-outs in the city centre had fallen into disrepair, this was not the case at his bar.

"We power-wash it every week at our own expense. You're cleaning and tidying it to make sure it's a good positive addition to the street. We're painting it as it's falling apart," he added.

Crew Brew opened at a stage during the Covid-19 pandemic between the lockdowns, when people were allowed to drink outside.

"The most shocking part of all this removal is it was without warning. There are no small businesses which can operate with the idea that people in authority may at any time and without any discussion, come in and materially impact your business," he concluded.

Cllr Hickey-O'Mara said: "There has been a worrying lack of communication from council to local businesses in regard to the removal of parklets, something that has caused huge distress for business owners. For example, Crew has carefully maintained the parklet outside their business for the past few years, regularly power washing it. Crew Brew has brought life and a true sense of community to Thomas Street. I can't tell you how many residents have contacted me to support Jono and his team at Crew over the past 24 hours. It's a much loved space that, unlike other businesses with parklets, doesn't have extra capacity inside. Removing it will do serious damage to Crew and as a council it's our job to listen to and support the small businesses who bring so much to our city."