Profits soar by €390,000 at Patrick Guilbaud
THE country’s most celebrated restaurant, the two Michelin starred Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, last year enjoyed its best-ever year as profits soared by almost €400,000.
New accounts filed by the restaurant’s Becklock Ltd show that accumulated profits at the company increased by €390,840 going from €774,989 to €1.165m in the 12 months to the end of August last. The profits of €390,840 last year followed profits of €210,458 in 2016. In an interview, company director and restaurant manager, Stephane Robin, said that “2017 was fabulous and this year it looks like it will be better again”.
The restaurant has been operating since 1981 and has already weathered five recessions.
A shareholder in the business, Mr Robin said that “2018 is looking to be our best-ever year – I expect a great year this year”. The anticipated record-breaking year in 2018 follows four consecutive record-breaking years in from 2014-2017.
Mr Robin said things had been “absolutely fantastic” since the restaurant reopened in November 2016 after a major revamp: “We were full in all 2017 – from the local client to the tourist.”
The restaurant – housed in the five-star Merrion Hotel in Dublin – secured its second Michelin star in 1996 and has retained it since.
On the bid to secure the third star, Mr Robin said: “Hopefully, we are not too far away from the third Michelin star we have been chasing for a long time. It is a dream and we always work at it.
“The food is really exceptional, and any other restaurant that has three stars, I at this level now.
“We keep our heads down and work and even for Ireland, it would be fabulous for a restaurant to get three stars.”
Mr Robin said that around 70pc of the restaurant’s customers are tourists during the summer months and with a 70pc local clientele for the rest of the year.
He added that there has been increased corporate business this year. The restaurant has 42 staff and staff costs last year increased from €1.278m to €1.34m. think we are