The vaccine bouncers: welcoming diners with a smile and a checklist

After nearly a year and a half, restaurateurs are delighted to have people in their dining rooms again – but making sure it’s safe for them, and for staff, is no easy process

Claire Nash of Nash 19 in Cork says the ‘art of hospitality’is very difficult to maintain in the current conditions. Picture: John Allen

Claire Nash was waiting for a wedding party to arrive at Nash 19, the restaurant and art gallery she owns and operates in Cork city.

“The place looks magnificent, and my heart has been pumping all day,” she said, noting for the first time how things finally seem to be getting back to normal after 16 months of on-and-off lockdowns. “Literally only today, it finally feels like: ‘Here we go, we’re back to what we ...