Restaurant sector enjoys strongest start-up growth

Dublin- The restaurant sector experienced the strongest growth in start-up businesses last year, according to figures published today by Bank of Ireland. The bank says more than 18,700 new companies were formed in 2007, a slight fall on the figure for the previous year. The largest numbers of new firms were in the construction and retail sectors, but the restaurant sector enjoyed the strongest proportional growth. More than 500 new restaurants opened during the year, an increase of one-third on the figure for 2006. Elsewhere, Dublin remained the most popular location for new businesses, with almost 7,000 opening in the capital last year, but significant growth was also recorded in the satellite towns of Louth and Kildare.