+34
Owner forced to cancel online delivery service due to stoppage in regular payments by US bank
Carlos Arguelles is the owner of Cuban Sandwich Factory in Belfast which has been restricted from the Deliveroo app. Photograph: Enda O'Dowdof a Belfast sandwich shop has suspended Deliveroo orders following the company’s failure to pay him due to US economic sanctions on what he describes as “anyone associated with Cuba”.
Carlos Arguelles, founder of the city centre based Cuban Sandwich Factory, said he was “angry and very sad” that he has been forced to cancel the online delivery service due to the stoppage in regular payments by a US bank over the past two months. Half of his staff depend on the Deliveroo orders and Arguelles said he cannot afford to keep paying their wages.
Based in Belfast since 2014, the business owner said a similar situation arose before 2020 when he was asked to prove he was a United Kingdom resident by a Deliveroo rep. Man jailed for murder of father of five in Cork golf-club attackThe business owner has been living in Northern Ireland since 1998 after moving from Cuba to marry a Co Antrim woman.
“The last payment we received from Deliveroo was in mid-June and it has been sporadic since then. This is not Deliveroo’s fault but the American bank that makes the payments. There seems to be an automatic trigger as soon as the word ‘Cuba’ appears,” said Arguelles.
“Mr Trump is trying to make it very difficult for anyone or anything associated with Cuba, even a wee sandwich shop in Belfast. This is the first time I’ve had to suspend these orders. It’s crazy this is happening. But no guarantee of any payment date or indeed ever being paid what has now run into thousands of pounds; it is just unsustainable for us to continue with Deliveroo.
”Since announcing the move in an online post on Tuesday, Arguelles said he has been inundated with messages of support.
“This is a horrible environment, as there is now an impact on my orders. I’ve had to cancel some orders from my suppliers. The meats, the bread, the baker – every single thing will be affected. It’s not a good situation,” he added.
“I took the decision to suspend the orders against my Deliveroo rep’s advice, but I felt I had no choice. Around 20 to 30 per cent of my orders come from them. I was talking to a lot of restaurant owners and they have not been affected – so it is now down to me being Cuban. I have family affected in Cuba by the same thing.
”GP and elderly mother awarded €12k over medical clinic receptionist’s ‘disrespectful’ conductA Wicklow woman in Marbella: ‘I would make friends in the summer and they would then go home. But I found my tribe’British warship and ‘sub hunter’ helicopter deployed for EU meeting in WicklowEuropean stocks hit one-month low as inflation, rising yields pressure markets
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Van Morrison at Electric Picnic: Not quite an old snuggly blanket, but when he's this good he's wonderfulBelfast's finest acknowledges neither the rain nor the crowd on the final day of being 80, and barely talks at all. But joy arrives when he plays some of his biggest hits.
Read more »
A Musician's Journey Through Tradition and ArtA musician reflects on their musical beginnings in Belfast, the profound influence of guitarist Steve Cooney, and their appreciation for nature and the visual arts.
Read more »
Shop Owner Shares Style Picks, Practical Gear and Daily HabitsThe owner of Hark, a practical goods store, shares personal style preferences including French workwear jackets, Entourage of 7 glasses, a Marmot Guides down jacket and Casio Pro Trek watch. He discusses the importance of supporting Irish retailers online, his favourite sources for T-shirts and sneakers, and his shift away from US brands toward Irish and European designs. He also outlines his daily routines, favourite long-form content on YouTube such as Carl Rogers and The Rest Is Politics podcast, and habit changes inspired by Jesse Itzler's calendar including reading more and improving gym consistency.
Read more »
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham visits Belfast amid Stormont budget deadlockBritish Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Northern Ireland last week, his first trip to Ireland since taking office, following a visit by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant. Both are addressing unresolved issues with Stormont politicians five weeks into their roles. Despite positive remarks, Burnhams listening tour revealed differing priorities among parties. The Secretary of States primary focus is the Stormont budget, still unagreed after five months of the financial year, with a draft budget from January unapproved and a £1 shortfall identified.
Read more »