New Shop Maynooth

ghostdancer

speaking of chain food places, I'm surprised Chopped hasn't opened an outlet here yet.

Donegal Storm

I've been living in the town for a year now and regularly grab a bite to eat in town at lunch time, definitely think there's a market for a healthy street food type place with a quick turnaround, there's a real lack of options where you just want to grab something healthy and head back to work. Would clean up the student market as well with the right menu

TheBody

ghostdancer wrote: »

speaking of chain food places, I'm surprised Chopped hasn't opened an outlet here yet.

I read a interview with one of the owners of Chopped recently. He said they have no ambitions to open any more shops as he wants to have time to raise his family.

L1011

And they've had branch closures. People aren't willing to pay that much for an over-large salad anymore I think.

ghostdancer

TheBody wrote: »

I read a interview with one of the owners of Chopped recently. He said they have no ambitions to open any more shops as he wants to have time to raise his family.

they appear to be focusing on franchising out the shops now, as well as putting them into existing delis in the future, rather than their own self-operated shops:
http://www.thejournal.ie/chopped-spar-dublin-2-3725961-Nov2017/

ghostdancer

L1011 wrote: »

And they've had branch closures. People aren't willing to pay that much for an over-large salad anymore I think.

they've opened in some poor locations though, the one in Lucan springs to mind, part of a Maxol with almost no footfall due to being too far from the village (which is hardly hopping at the best of times) and no shops/offices nearby, and very little car traffic, due to being underneath the N4 (unlike the M3/N3 Services one, which is usually busy when I've been in there). How the Lucan one is still open I'm not sure.
there was a Kanoodle concession in there with them too for a little while, but it closed pretty quickly.


the ones in town are still busy any afternoon I go by though.

they're quite handy in the mornings for an omelette on-the-go too.

as Donegal Storm says above, I think there's definitely a market for it.

ixus

If he is saying things like family etc it sounds like a come and buy me call. Which might be a smart move if he feels top of market is near or he can't achieve scale.

Hello Aramark, Applegreen, Circle, Musgraves....

mloc123

L1011 wrote: »

There's a good chance its just a refit - the kit-out is about 20 years old (it was much the same bar the TV screens for prices when I was in school).

Can't be twenty years is it Maybe 15-16 years tho, I feel old..

Grayson

mloc123 wrote: »

Can't be twenty years is it Maybe 15-16 years tho, I feel old..

It had a different name then too. In my time it's been a maximus, fusicardi's and romayo's

Moonbeam

There is a new coffee shop going in to Centra (Donvan/Londis/Nisa) it is in the shop on the right.

ghostdancer

is that a Centra now? I can't keep up!

L1011

It's now a Centra, again.

It still has the same owner/operator as 30+ years ago - not sure where the 19th century date on some of the ads in the Maynooth Newsletter comes from as the centre was only built in the early 70s and it was someone else there first!

Donovans expanded from the newsagent (not the first operator of it) in to the full supermarket/hardware store of Geraghtys and later put the off licence in the former laundrette.

ixus

Geraghty's. Now you're talking!

L1011

I believe Tom still has a store somewhere in the midlands that had a large-ish Lotto win sale a while back.

Happened to be nearby the last of the three places that used to be on his price tags ("Maynooth Celbridge Croghan") a few years back and the store was closed then as he'd moved on; think it has reopened since though. The Celbridge store was knocked and rebuilt as apartments years ago.

Donegal Storm

I actually had a conversation with someone not long after posting above about the lack of healthy options and they recommended me Beetroot down a side alley by the Duke so gave it a try for lunch, fairly expensive and limited menu but was decent enough. Something like that with more choice and cheaper prices would be great.

As an aside, the first time I've been down that alley, has the potential to be a nice little public square if they got rid of the cars and did it up

Grayson

L1011 wrote: »

It's now a Centra, again.

It still has the same owner/operator as 30+ years ago - not sure where the 19th century date on some of the ads in the Maynooth Newsletter comes from as the centre was only built in the early 70s and it was someone else there first!

Donovans expanded from the newsagent (not the first operator of it) in to the full supermarket/hardware store of Geraghtys and later put the off licence in the former laundrette.

Donovans was in the main st before that. Where the post office was. To the right of the library I think. Maybe the one on the main st was there longer?

L1011

Absolutely not before it, the Main Street one was a different member of the family and was 1990s. There was a newsagent and cafe in the old O'Briens/Quinnsworth centre which were different members of the family again.

Getting rid of the cars down the "Town Centre Mall" would be problematic - the longest or second longest serving tenant is the taxi firm (Beetroot was a funeral home for years, Donatellos has moved on, only the franchised dole office is there for more than a few years) and and the parking must bring in a decent income. Its all privately held.

karenalot

Donegal Storm wrote: »

I actually had a conversation with someone not long after posting above about the lack of healthy options and they recommended me Beetroot down a side alley by the Duke so gave it a try for lunch, fairly expensive and limited menu but was decent enough. Something like that with more choice and cheaper prices would be great.

As an aside, the first time I've been down that alley, has the potential to be a nice little public square if they got rid of the cars and did it up

I funnily enough commented the same about that alley when I walked through the other day.

On a similar note the Duke now has a new beer garden which I think was partly a car park previously?

lordgoat

ghostdancer wrote: »

if there was a Bunsen in Maynooth, I wouldn't set foot in any of the restaurants or pubs for a burger.

Same.

ghostdancer wrote: »

speaking of chain food places, I'm surprised Chopped hasn't opened an outlet here yet.

Not only that is anyone else not amazed that there's no big gym company opening here? Flyfit or Ben Dunne. Place is crying out for one.

marieholmfan

lordgoat wrote: »

Same.



Not only that is anyone else not amazed that there's no big gym company opening here? Flyfit or Ben Dunne. Place is crying out for one.

Too many great options in the locality between Leixlip amenities, the Glenroyal, Bear fitness , the new Gym in Kilcock , the old Gym in Kilcock etc.

lordgoat

marieholmfan wrote: »

Too many great options in the locality between Leixlip amenities, the Glenroyal, Bear fitness , the new Gym in Kilcock , the old Gym in Kilcock etc.

One of these are in Maynooth but hey i'm not surprised you have missed this.

Everything listed here is no where near as good as a Flyfit. And I'm not a fan of Flyfit

The best gym locally is KAOS behind the apple green.

etc

L1011

College used to have the lower price market sewn up; Flyefits opening hours would be popular though

The biggest issue is there is no unit big enough for it. The available size of retail unit in Maynooth now is tiny - the former uniformwarehouse location is probably the biggest!

And there's nothing in the pipeline either, a few normal size units in the Cairn and Leinster Street developments really

marieholmfan

Why are Brady's allowed to appropriate the main square for their collection of undesirables?

ixus

marieholmfan wrote: »

Why are Brady's allowed to appropriate the main square for their collection of undesirables?

Disgusting post. Maybe the heat is getting to you. Put your head in a fridge, or better yet, your phone.

L1011

You pay councils licence fees to place furniture on public spaces.

KCC seems to charge €125 per table per annum. Dublin City Council takes in about half a million a year from it!

Tango One

marieholmfan wrote: »

Why are Brady's allowed to appropriate the main square for their collection of undesirables?

I think the town square is under used. Using it for event could add real life to the town during the summer.

ixus

La Brasserie up for rent. Did anyone ever try It?

https://m.myhome.ie/commercial/brochure/main-street-maynooth-kildare/4261891

35k per month! Key money 250k.

L1011

Guarantee that's a typo for 3.5k or 35k/year. Looking at the lease register most larger units in the town centre are under 2k a month and a restaurant licence + fitout are not worth 360k a year!

3.5k is pretty rich, that's what city centre restaurants were renting for a year or two ago. 1k/week was the norm for a pub with a full pub licence.

jjdonegal

Hey; sorry if wrong thread but a search not getting me the info I need!
Is there a decent Indian Takeaway in Maynooth now and if so which one is best!

L1011

jjdonegal wrote: »

Hey; sorry if wrong thread but a search not getting me the info I need!
Is there a decent Indian Takeaway in Maynooth now and if so which one is best!

In Maynooth right now the only option is MaMs as Taj is irregularly open (and only for takeaway at that - trying to hire waiting staff). MaMs is OK. Taj once sent me a "mild" dish (can't remember what) that was the hottest dish I have ever eaten and actually led to a nosebleed due to how much my nose started running...

Delhi Darbar (Celbridge, its a common name) deliver to Maynooth and while they're not as good as they were they are vastly better than anyone else locally.