Deli owner hopes to get dream back on track

Monika, who was born in Poland and came to Northern Ireland in 2007, achieved her dream when she opened Smokey Deli on Grand Parade in east Belfast last August.

She said business had been building steadily up until February and she had been planning on taking on more staff for the spring and summer period.

“Then the virus came,” she said. “I was closed from the end of March up until the end of April when I could open again for collection.

“I got a grant of £10,000 which I applied for at the very start of lockdown. I didn’t get it until May 13.”

When single mum Monika came to Northern Ireland having lived in Spain, Italy, Greece and Holland she worked in care homes.

Through Business NI she started up her own cleaning company, she contacted them again 10 years later and they helped her open up Smokey Deli.

She said: “This is my dream. I’m putting everything into it. I’m here from 7am to 11pm every day we are open, doing little jobs to help the business improve.

“Business has been slow since lockdown. I’m excited but also scared about the scheme.

“I will now have to open early in the week on days I wouldn’t normally open. A lot of restaurants and cafes are closed on Monday but now they will have to open because of this scheme. If lots of people are coming out to eat on a Monday you don’t want to be closed.

“I will have to be open for seven days a week now, that is extra expense to run the deli.

“I just hope that having this scheme early in the week won’t mean that customers don’t come later in the week when things would usually have been busier. Sunday is usually the busiest day for me. I hope people won’t be put off coming on the days when the offer is not on.

“I’m happy about the scheme, I hope it can help businesses like myself, but you can see why I am also a little bit nervous.”

The Eat Out to Help Out scheme begins today giving diners a 50% discount on food or non-alcoholic drinks to eat or drink in (up to a maximum of £10 discount per diner) at participating restaurants.

The discount is available every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between August 3 and 31.

You do not need a voucher to use the scheme and you can use it at the same time as other offers and discounts.

The discount will be automatically available to you at participating establishments who will then claim a reimbursement from the government for the discount they have given you.