A Day in the Life: Gina Murphy

CAPITAL GAINS Gina Murphy from Ballina has run Hugo’s Restaurant on Merrion Road in Dublin for the last 14 years.

Factfile
Name: Gina Murphy
Born: Ballina
Lives: Dublin
Occupation: Restaurateur

My alarm usually goes off at about 7.45 and, I hit the snooze button! By 8 my partner Ed is up and he brings me coffee in bed. I’m blessed!
We sit in bed for about 15 minutes, and we read the news or listen to the radio and then we’re up by 8.15. We hit the showers, get dressed and we’re in the car by around 9 o’clock.
Ed is the executive head chef in the Merrion Hotel just around the corner from my restaurant (Hugo’s) on Merrion Row restaurant, so it’s handy that we work within 50 yards of each other.
Once we get into work, it’s full on. I start with a coffee, but so many cups go un-drank throughout the day.
The deliveries have started, the cleaner is in, and my admin guys and chefs are in as well, so there’s already people working by the time I’m there. We then start putting out our terraced furniture.
We’ve been blessed with our campaign to pedestrianise Merrion Row that we’ve been able to secure over 280 seats for all the different hospitality enterprises. Setting up the terraces and watering of plants takes about an hour and a half each day. It’s a lot of work.
Our campaign for pedestrianisation with other local businesses has really changed the city. We’re in one of the busiest thoroughfares in Dublin with three relentless lanes of traffic. It has been mitigated down to one lane that facilitates only 20 percent of the traffic that we used to get. The sound of the street, and even the pace of the people walking on it is completely different. They used to speed walk down the street and now everyone strolls along walking their dogs and stopping for coffees. There’s something quite beautiful about that.
At the same time, all the deliveries are coming in because we only deal in fresh food. It’s always very cheerful in the morning to see all those familiar faces that have been coming to us for years, like SeΡn who brings my chickens or Dave that brings my herbs. It’s lovely to be able to support them again.
The phone never stops. You’re taking bookings and inquiries and there’s always about 20 emails to be dealt with every morning before we open the doors. I also have to deal with the kitchen in the morning and go through any requests, specials dishes or special occasions like birthdays.

‘Game on’
By 12 o’clock, it’s ‘game on’ and the doors are open for business. Right now, we run through the entire day. It really is non-stop until 10 o’clock at night for dinner. It’s really wonderful to be able to trade outdoors.
We’ve been blessed for the last few weeks with the weather, but outdoors is a different level of service for us. Our staffing levels are twice the level we would need to do the same number of tables indoors.
My restaurant is built with indoor dining in mind, so all the facilities are at the back of the restaurant and downstairs. Sometimes it could be a 100-yard round trip to get a glass of water for someone. It’s a lot of extra manpower, but I don’t care. It’s wonderful to be back working again.
Today (Monday) is 500 days since I closed the restaurant. In that time, I got trading for 51 days in the summer and 30 days at Christmas at 50 percent capacity.
I’ll be fourteen years open on August 8, but I sadly lost nineteen of my twenty six full-time staff throughout the pandemic. It’s been a challenge, but we’ve been able to pull together a wonderful team of skilled professionals, and it’s only getting stronger every day. It’s an honour to work with them.
I work on the floor as part of the service team, so I’m here to lock up every night. We have to clear the terrace at 11.30 and by the time we get everything done indoors it could be 2 o’clock, so I’m usually getting into bed about 2.30.
I haven’t been home to Ballina much in the last year, and I really miss it. I love going home. My nieces and nephews were growing up so fast, and even just getting to visit my Mum’s grave is something I miss. My heart would just explode if I could be on the boat out to Bartragh Island. I live in Dublin, but my heart is always in Ballina. It’s very special.  

In conversation with Oisín McGovern

Quickfire questions

If money was no object, what would you do all day?
I would love to travel continuously. My dream is to have my own campervan and just take off across Europe someday with Ed
 
Tell us something about yourself we don’t know?
I haven’t cooked at home in nearly 8 years. Ed is a wonderful chef, I’m not allowed in the kitchen
 
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?
River spiders in Fiji. Won’t be going back for seconds
 
Where’s your favourite place in the world?
Not sure if I have a favourite place. I love cities, and I love the sea and the wild outdoors. Everywhere is a new adventure.
 
What makes you angry?
I’m hard to anger, but animal cruelty is right up there pushing my buttons. I’ve no time for bad manners or rudeness either
 
Your first hero?
I always looked up to my Mum, she had such a great attitude to life. We lost her on Christmas Day six years ago, still hard to believe she’s not around

Name three things that are always in your fridge?
Milk, real butter, fruit

What makes you nervous?
Media interviews!
 
Favourite TV show?
I’m not a big TV person, but I love quiz shows and arts documentaries
 
Most famous person you’ve met?
I’ve been lucky to meet and become friends with quite a few through my work. Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rihanna, Bryan Ferry, Simple Minds, Metallica, G-Easy to name a few. David Soul, the singer and original Hutch (Starsky and Hutch) has become one of my dear friends
 
What do you miss most about being a kid?
Carefree days spent on the river and Bartragh Island with my family.
 
What’s your most prized possession?
I’ve a pair of my Mum’s shoes that fit me like a glove
 
Best advice you ever got?
Always treat people the way you would like to be treated
 
Describe yourself in three words?
Hard working, fun, honest
 
How do you unwind?
I love swimming, and live music gigs. I am a total festival girl, but nothing beats an evening with friends, good food, good wine, conversation and craic