Coastal Wexford business expanding into Tenerife – ‘It was something we just had to do’

Sean and Elaine Byrne run The Strand in Duncannon and will open Don Quixote in Tenerife next month, having come across a great property on the island in the sun.

“We have a connection to Tenerife as we have an apartment there. It’s just something that came up very suddenly and it was something we just had to do,” said Sean.

He said the idea of a fresh challenge appealed, adding that there will be a new manager running The Strand, managing it in the same style, while bringing some fresh ideas to the table.

The Byrnes plan to serve a mixture of traditional food and Spanish food at the 100-seater Tenerife restaurant, which has space for a further 50 people outdoors.

“It's quite a rustic place. It’s been closed up since Covid. It will be open year round. There's a big ex-pat community, mainly British. Like here we’ll focus on using local suppliers and give a warm welcome to customers.”

Describing this summer as a strange season in business, Sean said: “July was a real disappointment but we have a great local trade and that keeps us going. We had a good June and August.” He said having a low turnover of staff, especially chefs, has helped maintain consistency of food and so has having an affordable menu.

Having opened in December 2019, he said he hopes Don Quixote will perform as well as The Strand.

“Anyone who comes to Don Quixote from Wexford will get a warm welcome,” said Sean.