The headwinds of hospitality wait for no business owner
It’s been a pretty quiet week for hospitality news, with businesses unveiling fresh new menus, dusting off the outdoor furniture and getting ready for another Summer in Dublin. But no week in Dublin is ever uneventful, with some interesting comings and goings taking place in our capital:
OPENERS
September, Blackrock
Blackrock just about has it all, the sea, the rarified air and now a dotie new wine bar that doubles as a cafe during the day. The brainchild of William Browne who brought the sandwich and coffee truck Leroys (pronounced le roy) into existence and planted it into Merrion Cricket Club. Browne launched September, the city’s newest wine bar-come-cafe at the start of April. Serving up Leroys’ signature sandwiches and tartine pastries and pouring Groundstate coffee with in-house syrups during the day, while offering up a natty wine list with a modern European small plates menu at night.
The Racket Store, (downstairs at) The Bernard Shaw
For all of the cool cats and kittens in Phibsboro, The Racket Store launched last week with a great deal of fuss. The new shop will boast an extensive selection of records, both second hand and new, as well as clothes, books, magazines, prints, and much more. The venue originally opened as an event space in 2022 and contains a music studio which has become a hub for local DJs and producers.
Cappello, Thomas Street
Nice to see the spot where The Lab vacated taken over by another pizza spot, this time serving Neapolitan pizza and pasta. It’s a no-nonsense no-frills spot that serves up high-quality Italian classics with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The Coach House@Stewarts, Palmerstown Village
In the heart of Palmerstown Village, there’s a new hospitality hub which offers employment opportunities to local people with intellectual disabilities. Dating back to the early 1700s, the beautifully restored Coach House would have done just that, providing hospitality to passing stagecoach travellers on their journey West from Dublin. Serving up a simple brunch, lunch and soon-to-be-launched dinner menu with a well-curated wine list. They also have a good bit of space to put on events and its proximity to the M50 and M4 make it a great half-way meet-up point for friends or family around the country.
CLOSURES
The Butlers Pantry, Harcourt Street
One of the artisan food stores has closed, on Harcourt Street, the store opened roughly three years ago and was the 10th store of its kind. Selling store cupboard heroes, oven-ready meals, breads and desserts, it was a beloved spot for a lot of the suits that work nearby.
Devil’s Cut, Inchicore
One of Inchicores newest bars, the Devil’s Cut appears to be closed, a notice on Google shows it as “temporarily closed”. The bar has a strong focus on whiskey with boxes available for locals to pop their whiskeys in and sip at their leisure, up until recently they have also been doing lots of spirit tastings alongside having live music most nights. Hopefully, this closure is temporary and this spot will reopen soon!
YASSIFICATION
Charlie’s, Georges Street
We gotta start calling him Charles now cos the Charlie’s on Georges Street has undergone the mother of all facelifts. It’s now all backlit, bold colours on the walls, wooden finishes and operational screens, a far cry from the A&E bright, caustic interior that we knew and loved.
Have we missed any openers or closures in your area? We are all ears on [email protected]
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