Ripples café at Riverside is making waves
A LOCAL hotel has expanded its business with the opening of a new café. The Riverside Hotel in Sligo town has opened Ripples in the conservatory section of the building, which overlooks the Garavogue river and sits next to the footbridge connecting the Mall with the Riverside area.
Ripples has emerged as a new arm of the hotel’s trade as a result of changing preferences and a desire for the provision of quick, quality food. Speaking this week, Riverside Hotel general manager Mark Ballantine said: “Realistically, our lunch trade was never really growing and with Covid it changed the way people were dining. So we had to adapt and evolve.” The café marks an exciting new opportunity to attract new customers following a 2020 in which they brought their services to the nearby community.
Mark said: “We offered free meals to our locals. We got on to the Cranmore Community Co-op to work out who needs the meals and how we can deliver them safely. We contacted the local garda community officer and he offered to deliver the meals if we knew who needed them and between the three of us we came up with a list of people we could deliver to.”
While the Ripples has opened for business, plenty of work is still going on in the background as Mark explained they are preparing to utilise the inside of the conservatory which previously had only been used on mornings and weekends.
“We needed to change our offering. Dining experiences have changed. We came up with this idea after a lot of research and we found people wanted a high quality product with quick service and it has worked well. We are looking forward in a few weeks to offering people that same quick service when they can sit down inside.” Mark felt there was always more potential to be fulfilled in the area as the volume of people in the Riverside area has continued to grow.
He said: “There’s a lot of footfall – workers, students, parents bringing kids to school. A lot of people walk here out of necessity and lots of people head for Doorly Park for recreational activities. The conservatory area was never really getting used so this is a nice way to have it open every day.” For Mark and his team, quick service is key to making the café work. They envisage striking a balance while also guaranteeing high quality offerings.
Mark said: “The super fast process is why it has been going so well. When you turn up you see a hatch, but there’s a whole kitchen at work behind it. We are already seeing repeat business. People know they aren’t waiting – it is in and out quite fast.”
The menu has something for everyone while also remaining compact. This was essential, according to Mark, as there is a preference for smaller menus which also means providing quality over quantity.
He said: “You don’t want to make a menu too confusing. In 20 years’ serving food I’ve learned from experience you don’t want a busy menu. You want core products that work well that are consistent and efficiently delivered. “Sandwiches, milkshakes, icecream, sausage rolls, teas and coffees are all going very well. We are starting to concentrate on vegan products too, which we hope to offer in time for the return of outdoor dining.”
Outdoor dining is due to return by June 7. Ireland’s weather not being particularly tropical can make eating al fresco tricky, but there is a determination to make a worthwhile investment which will allow for comfortable outdoor dining even when the weather takes turns for the worse.
Mark said: “We are planning around that. It has to be a step above parasols and we believe it is worth investing in when it is something that stands the test of time. We are fortunate to have the space for this and we will be making full use of it.”
Mark is very much a glass-half-full type of person when it comes to looking ahead. While acknowledging the challenges ahead for the recovery of the hospitality industry, for the first time he feels there is reason to be optimistic about the future again.
“I am optimistic. I believe that we have seen the worst of the pandemic. The country feels like it’s ready to get back at it and I am confident about a strong summer.
“Hospitality suffered a lot over the last year and there is a lot of work to do to recover. But I am optimistic about our and other businesses’ ability to have an evolved offering and beyond that I think 2022 can be a smashing a year.”
“The government has stepped up and did what they have to do to make sure the majority of us are still here and ready to fight for the business,” he continued. “We have been able to live through this and we are ready to kick on. I am not a negative person, I prefer to be optimistic and see what happens. I am confident we are emerging the other side of this.”
“I am optimistic. I believe that we have seen the worst of the pandemic. The country feels like it’s ready to get back at it”