Gruel

Hootanany · 14-01-2011 12:51am #1

Has it closed down loved there half & half shame if it true

admiralofthefleet · 14-01-2011 12:53am

is that the place on lord edward street?

AnonoBoy · 14-01-2011 1:00am

It's on Dame Street.

Has it closed down?

Hootanany · 14-01-2011 1:03am

Shutters down since Friday

Hootanany · 14-01-2011 1:05am

Mermaid blinds were closed as well are they connected

jdivision · 14-01-2011 1:32am

They're connected alright. Would be surprised if true - sad

herya · 14-01-2011 1:45am

yes read somewhere they went out of business.

Hootanany · 14-01-2011 1:50am

Lovely food very late convert but everytime i was there it was packed

Degsy · 14-01-2011 10:38am

Hootanany wrote: »

Mermaid blinds were closed as well are they connected

A friend of mine was a chef there,got laid off just before christmas.

Giblet · 14-01-2011 10:39am

Ah ****e!

Hootanany · 14-01-2011 10:54am

Giblet wrote: »

Ah ****e!

Baking Powder

woolymammoth · 14-01-2011 11:43am

herya wrote: »

yes read somewhere they went out of business.

Hootanany wrote: »

Lovely food very late convert but everytime i was there it was packed

more evidence of greedy ****ing landlords? or just bad business people? Or tough market?

cailinoBAC · 14-01-2011 12:35pm

http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/

See the letter 'closure of restaurants'

woolymammoth · 14-01-2011 12:43pm

cailinoBAC wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/

See the letter 'closure of restaurants'

I ****ing hate those greedy bastards.

so that it may be forever immortalised and not hidden in the depths of news archives:

Madam, – It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of the Mermaid Café and Gruel on Dame Street, Dublin.
For two years we have weathered the economic storm which has seen a fall-off in trade of over 30 per cent, but have now been forced to lock our doors primarily by the intransigence of landords who still demand boom-time rents with their upward-only review mechanisms still in place.
As we depart, we can only wonder at the shortsightedness of this behaviour that has robbed Dublin of a viable business operating what we believe to have been two well-loved eateries, placed 30 people out of work and left many suppliers high and dry as we enter a new year. To these latter, our strongest feeling of regret.
We hope over the past 16 years that we have contributed something to the cultural life of the capital and we would like especially to thank all our loyal patrons over the years, many Irish Times readers among them, who may miss us as we do them, for their support. Goodbye and good luck. – Yours, etc,
MARK HARRELL
BENEDICT GORMAN,
Dame Street,
Dublin 2.

Our company moved office about 3 months ago. After we'd made all the arrangements, but just before we'd signed, the bastard LL tried to up the rent! :mad: It's no wonder so many places are going out of business. And neither politicians or their darlings of the media will pick up on it!

ceadaoin. · 14-01-2011 12:44pm

cailinoBAC wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/

See the letter 'closure of restaurants'

There's also an article in the business section

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2011/0114/1224287488277.html

Boom__Boom · 14-01-2011 1:12pm

Taken from the article in the Business section

The combined rent on the two restaurants at 68 and 69 Dame Street was €190,000. When Mr Harrell and Mr Gorman opened the Mermaid, at number 69, in 1996, the rent was £15,000.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I know the £15,000 initially was only for number 69 but that's an insane rise in costs to €190,000.

The landlord should really be named and shamed here and questioned as to how they believe that €190,000 is a justifiable level of rent in the current environment.

stovelid · 14-01-2011 2:42pm

Maybe the buildings have changed hands since 1996 and are under a large mortgage now?

Obviously, I agree that the rents are ridiculous though.

CBFi · 14-01-2011 4:02pm

Such a pity - i loved Gruel although I'd never been to The Mermaid. It seems that a lot of retailers, landlords and suppliers still think we're in the middle of a boom. such bad business!

woolymammoth · 14-01-2011 5:26pm

stovelid wrote: »

Maybe the buildings have changed hands since 1996 and are under a large mortgage now?

if that were true, then what will happen now that they (the landlords) are out €190,000? Nothing. Because I'd bet it was largly profit.

Degsy · 14-01-2011 6:18pm

Boom__Boom wrote: »

The landlord should really be named and shamed here and questioned as to how they believe that €190,000 is a justifiable level of rent in the current environment.

The owners will be listed in Thom's directory or Thom's Commercial directory.

Hootanany · 14-01-2011 6:36pm

Thats some jump in rent crazy bucks to be shelling out then there is rates waste charges water charges and god knows what other charges phew i out of breath.

Twee. · 14-01-2011 8:43pm

This did not come from a 100% source and I can't find anything about it online, but I heard that the new cafe upstairs in Tower Records is operated by the Gruel/Mermaid crowd.

Hootanany · 14-01-2011 8:45pm

Hope the grub is as good

Twee. · 14-01-2011 8:48pm

I should visit for "research" purposes....

Hootanany · 14-01-2011 8:52pm

Lettuce know how you get on

John_Rambo · 14-01-2011 9:05pm

Can't believe the Mermaid is closed. Great great treat for lunch.

Sergeant · 15-01-2011 3:29am

The hot beef rolls in Gruel were gorgeous. Shame to see the place go.

CrazyRabbit · 15-01-2011 4:01am

Some of the small-medium sized units in the Blanchardstown centre have rents over €500,000. I don't know how those shops make a profit. I guess the shops must be passing the cost onto us..the consumers.

Hootanany · 15-01-2011 10:25am

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Some of the small-medium sized units in the Blanchardstown centre have rents over €500,000. I don't know how those shops make a profit. I guess the shops must be passing the cost onto us..the consumers.

That scandalous
:eek:

Twenty10 · 15-01-2011 11:36am

Twee. wrote: »

This did not come from a 100% source and I can't find anything about it online, but I heard that the new cafe upstairs in Tower Records is operated by the Gruel/Mermaid crowd.

Twee, I had breakfast in Sound Bites the other morning and it was really nice, coffee was great in my opinion.

Review here (not mine!);
http://prudence.ie/?p=4275

Only problem with the place is that you get so comfortable and relaxed that you don't want to leave - good music playing in the shop also.

Nevyn · 15-01-2011 9:21pm

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Some of the small-medium sized units in the Blanchardstown centre have rents over €500,000. I don't know how those shops make a profit. I guess the shops must be passing the cost onto us..the consumers.

A lot of them are going to end up closing, Gamesworkshop closed new years eve.

Gruel

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