Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

Idbatterim

https://m.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/300-jobs-to-be-created-as-wetherspoons-start-work-on-new-dublin-pub-and-hotel-36846472.html

Muahahaha

The Abbey St venue sounds pretty decent

The development, expected to be completed well in advance of Christmas, will also have an outdoor beer garden and a roof terrace which will have a retractable roof.

The court heard Wetherspoons had employed a professionally qualified and accredited conservation architect to manage, monitor and implement to ensure adequate protection of the retained and historic fabric of the buildings during the works, including plasterwork, cornices and ceiling mouldings, staircases, balusters, handrails and skirting boards.

Judge O’Sullivan granted Wetherspoons a declaratory order assuring the company of a drinks license on completion to permitted plans.

It is due to open October this year. I would say it will be very busy, its just a few hundred metres from both OConnell St and Busaras/Connolly Station. Then on the same street there are thousands working in VHI and Irish Life. Abbey Theatre across the road too with shows a good few nights a week. It will be a great addition to the area.

Idbatterim

pity they didnt purchase somewhere around temple bar when prices were cheap during the recession!

BeerNut

Idbatterim wrote: »

pity they didnt purchase somewhere around temple bar when prices were cheap during the recession!

Doubt there'd be anywhere big enough. They did look at The Mercantile, I believe, but decided against it.

Muahahaha

iirc Tim Martin did an interview with one of the Sunday papers recently and said that he has long seen Dublin property as gone too expensive and he wont be investing any further for the foreseeable. Once Abbey St and Camden St are open that will be it for now.

Pity they didnt snap up the Ormond Hotel site when it was going for 3 million. Also the former Arlington Hotel on Lord Edward St is undergoing a renovation at the moment. Im guessing Louis Fitzgerald had to sell it as part of his debt re-structuring, not sure how much it went for but it would have been a good site for Spoons in Temple Bar.

thegeezer

Will that stop him investing outside of Dublin ? Already one in Cork, I would have thought Galway, Wicklow, Waterford and Sligo might be prime locations ?

Subcomandante Marcos

They already own properties in Carlow and Waterford and another location in Cork but there's no sign of they actually doing anything with them any time soon.

Reputable Rog

thegeezer wrote: »

Will that stop him investing outside of Dublin ? Already one in Cork, I would have thought Galway, Wicklow, Waterford and Sligo might be prime locations ?

Why not Limerick, Ennis, Tralee? They have a property in Waterford, they never bought the second site in Cork.

thegeezer

Reputable Rog wrote: »

Why not Limerick, Ennis, Tralee? They have a property in Waterford, they never bought the second site in Cork.

Limerick would make absolute sense, Ennis and Tralee never been so can't comment. Guy is reasonably approachable, and will usually reply on Social Media (Tim Martin). Bit of a right wing twat but great business sense.

Other places Sligo, Wexford

Call me naive English, but why is nowehere in the midlands ever suggested ?

Reputable Rog

thegeezer wrote: »

Limerick would make absolute sense, Ennis and Tralee never been so can't comment. Guy is reasonably approachable, and will usually reply on Social Media (Tim Martin). Bit of a right wing twat but great business sense.

Other places Sligo, Wexford

Call me naive English, but why is nowehere in the midlands ever suggested ?

Ennis and Tralee are both larger than Sligo and Wexford.
Wetherspoons have quit social media, deleted their accounts.

thegeezer

Reputable Rog wrote: »

Ennis and Tralee are both larger than Sligo and Wexford.
Wetherspoons have quit social media, deleted their accounts.

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tim-martin-6b4365a

https://twitter.com/groovytimbo?lang=en

Greyling

thegeezer wrote: »

https://twitter.com/groovytimbo?lang=en

He's some craic that Groovy Timbo.

thegeezer

Greyling wrote: »

He's some craic that Groovy Timbo.

He is now, and him being CEO of the company and all :-)

thegeezer

Customer requested that we start paying our associates the living wage, but I was like 'Naah, spending the cash on Brexit beermats instead'

You could almost believe this

Muahahaha

Camden Street hotel construction is now well underway and due to open next year. The Old Borough in Swords is adding 14 hotel bedrooms at a cost of 1.1 million, they are due to open later this month or in August.

Stevek101

Any word on Abbey Street, has construction started?

SteM

We were out in Blackrock last night and I was surprised to see a sign saying they were showing Sky Sports and BT Sports now. I though they usually steered clear of the pay TV channels.

L1011

As a general rule they completely avoid them - but in the UK it's more common to have pubs without them as the pricing is more aggressive and there are more smaller pubs then here.

Suggests adaptability to local market conditions really, but will put some people off going who were going to avoid the sports crowds. I'd presume they are also going to break their usual rule of muting the TV if they're paying for content

Muahahaha

Noticed the football on in the Blanch Spoons since the World Cup last summer. Remember watching a Dublin GAA match in the Blackrock venue in the summer of 2017 so it is not a recent development to show sports. Thing is their pubs are pretty large so it cant be that difficult to have it on in one part of the pub and not the other. So long as the staff dont blow the whole pub out with volume it would be okay imo.

Any movement in the Abbey St venue?

Subcomandante Marcos

Muahahaha wrote: »

Noticed the football on in the Blanch Spoons since the World Cup last summer. Remember watching a Dublin GAA match in the Blackrock venue in the summer of 2017 so it is not a recent development to show sports. Thing is their pubs are pretty large so it cant be that difficult to have it on in one part of the pub and not the other. So long as the staff dont blow the whole pub out with volume it would be okay imo.

Any movement in the Abbey St venue?

They'll not start in Abbey street until swords and Camden street are finished.

Blut2

Is there an expected opening date for Camden St yet?

SteM

Blut2 wrote: »

Is there an expected opening date for Camden St yet?

There's a sign on the scaffolding saying autumn 2019.

Blut2

Ah. Shame it was objected to, it really is taking a long time to get up and running.

Thundercats Ho

I saw on the Carlow forum that the Carlow Spoons is opening next year.

https://www.carlowlive.ie/news/home/342091/total-of-50-jobs-to-be-created-as-jd-wetherspoon-starts-workon-new-pubin-carlow.html

L1011

That one was assumed to be dead as a dodo; wonder will Waterford and Douglas be dug up and tried again in that case?

donaghs

Blut2 wrote: »

Ah. Shame it was objected to, it really is taking a long time to get up and running.

Can see the builders in Camden st now. Looks like making some progress

Subcomandante Marcos

Thundercats Ho wrote: »

I saw on the Carlow forum that the Carlow Spoons is opening next year.

https://www.carlowlive.ie/news/home/342091/total-of-50-jobs-to-be-created-as-jd-wetherspoon-starts-workon-new-pubin-carlow.html

Benefit of this one is it's nearly turnkey. Minimal work needed. They'll just change the interior to their own style and it's good to go.

n97 mini

L1011 wrote: »

That one was assumed to be dead as a dodo; wonder will Waterford and Douglas be dug up and tried again in that case?

I'll believe Carlow when I see it. Doesn't fit in with their logistics, i.e. it's not on the road from Dublin to Cork.

Douglas has been abandoned. Didn't get planning, and I believe they've since sold the site.

Reputable Rog

n97 mini wrote: »

I'll believe Carlow when I see it. Doesn't fit in with their logistics, i.e. it's not on the road from Dublin to Cork.

Douglas has been abandoned. Didn't get planning, and I believe they've since sold the site.

They never bought it in the first place. It wasn't refused, they withdrew the application.

Eric Cartman

SteM wrote: »

We were out in Blackrock last night and I was surprised to see a sign saying they were showing Sky Sports and BT Sports now. I though they usually steered clear of the pay TV channels.

which is a shame, it was one pub I could count on going to to avoid the loud football/rugby crowds if I just wanted a drink, I suppose they have to compete but their 'no music / no tv' philosophy when opening was a delight to me.

Muahahaha

Had said up the thread that them showing football shouldnt be a problem as the pubs are so big. However was in the Blackrock one on Sunday and Man Utd were playing Everton. Only about 6-8 people were watching the game but they had obviously been on the sauce all day cause the noise out of them was unreal at times, that was with us sitting a good 20m away. Its one thing to have a football game on but another if it means people roaring their heads off. Staff really should have dealt with it but were probably afraid to.

Regards music I wish they had some kind of low background music. Anytime Ive been in for breakfast their pubs feel like a library. Nothing wrong with background music so long as it isnt blared up.

All that said Im still a big fan of their chicken wings, great crunch to the skin

n97 mini

Reputable Rog wrote: »

They never bought it in the first place. It wasn't refused, they withdrew the application.

I didn't say it was refused. They applied for planning, there were objections and a bit of ping pong along the way, and then they abandoned the idea.

Was pretty sure they bought the site though.

RasTa

That's because their wings are deep fried. They really are awful pubs, only decent for a quick one.

Thundercats Ho

n97 mini wrote: »

I'll believe Carlow when I see it. Doesn't fit in with their logistics, i.e. it's not on the road from Dublin to Cork.

Douglas has been abandoned. Didn't get planning, and I believe they've since sold the site.

They started work on it yesterday.

Chelon

RasTa wrote: »

That's because their wings are deep fried. They really are awful pubs, only decent for a quick one.

Ok my view of Wetherspoons either here or in Uk, is they fall into one of three categories:-

1. Awful
2. Boring
3. Actually quite good

I think we're lucky over here so far the ones I've been in are in category 2 or 3 for me.

Dellboy54

Thundercats Ho wrote: »

They started work on it yesterday.

On which, Carlow or Douglas?

the beer revolu

RasTa wrote: »

That's because their wings are deep fried. They really are awful pubs, only decent for a quick one.

Classic Buffalo wings are always deep fried.
That really is not a sign of a bad pub or kitchen.

Subcomandante Marcos

the beer revolu wrote: »

Classic Buffalo wings are always deep fried.
That really is not a sign of a bad pub or kitchen.

Yup, classic buffalo wings are possible the most simple thing you could cook.

Pat your wings dry, fry them plain at 180 for 12 minutes until the skin is good and crispy and toss them in a mixture of 1 part butter to 2 or 4 parts franks hot sauce with a dash of white vinegar.

God knows how but so many places manage to ruin them by adding breading, under cooking them so the skin isn't hot, or using all sorts of crap in the sauces.
Thank feck spoons keep that one thing simple and do it properly, I'd prefer not having to add the sauce myself though.

Subcomandante Marcos

Dellboy54 wrote: »

On which, Carlow or Douglas?

Carlow, the bank in Douglas was sold.

Hotblack Desiato

Frank's Hot Sauce violates the Trades Descriptions Act.

oblivious

On topic, please

Clegg

There's activity on the Abbey Street site as well. It doesn't look like they're working on it yet but I've seen people in there.

Muahahaha

Surprised they havent been quicker completing the Abbey St venue, it feels like its been 2-3 years since they bought it. With the amount of workers and commuters in that area Id imagine it will be a very busy venue when it does open.

L1011

Muahahaha wrote: »

Surprised they havent been quicker completing the Abbey St venue, it feels like its been 2-3 years since they bought it. With the amount of workers and commuters in that area Id imagine it will be a very busy venue when it does open.

They've focused efforts on the hotel beds - Swords and Camden Street - as they are bound to be more profitable in the current environment.

Muahahaha

yeah I know but they are a massive chain and pubs in the city centre are booming, it makes sense to get them open asap.They make nothing for sitting on the Abbey St venue as long as they have and they have actually lost out on a couple of years profits by doing so. The cost of construction in those years has only being going one way too.

Ive always thought their Ireland strategy is a bit strange, to develop in suburbs first and then later in the city centre when you would imagine the Abbey St/Camden St venues will end up being two of their most profitable.Then again upon launch Tim Martin estimated twenty to thirty pubs for Ireland but its become clear now that they are not going through with those plans.

L1011

Tim has shown himself to not be the quickest on the draw financially these days, what with his Brexit crap. I do wonder how his "no European products" thing will work here, unless he applies the "Ireland isn't foreign" idea

Also remember he got to the planning permission / court declaration for license point in the early 2000s with Capel Street before backing out - they have always been really wary about Irish expansion.

Reputable Rog

L1011 wrote: »

Tim has shown himself to not be the quickest on the draw financially these days, what with his Brexit crap. I do wonder how his "no European products" thing will work here, unless he applies the "Ireland isn't foreign" idea

Also remember he got to the planning permission / court declaration for license point in the early 2000s with Capel Street before backing out - they have always been really wary about Irish expansion.

The only reason he's backing Brexit is because he thinks the EU food standards are too high and he wants to be able to source cheaper food.

bennyineire

Article in the Indo has a name and opening date quoted for Abbey St, "The pub, which will be called The Silver Penny, is due to open in May 2019." for Abbey St.

https://www.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/wetherspoons-to-continue-to-look-for-sites-as-it-begins-latest-development-in-dublin-37542262.html

Muahahaha

^^^ From the article it seems like he has changed his mind again about Irish expansion plans. He came out around a year ago and said that they had finished buying sites in Ireland and also he felt that there was no value left in the Irish property market so they were holding tight. Now he is saying they are actively looking for sites again

Wetherspoon will continue to look for other sites in Ireland, having enjoyed what it describes as "great success" with its existing five pubs in the Republic of Ireland.

Speaking as the company begins development work on a new pub in Dublin, Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin, said that he was "pleased" to have three new sites in development in Ireland.

"We have enjoyed great success with our existing five pubs in the Republic of Ireland and are pleased that we now have three new sites in development," Mr Martin said.

"We will continue to look for other sites."

The latest development in the heart of Dublin will see the UK pub chain invest €4m in a new pub on Lower Abbey Street, which will create 75 jobs.

The pub, which will be called The Silver Penny, is due to open in May 2019.

With a hard Brexit on the horizon and sterling getting weaker I wouldnt hold much hope of them opening further pubs in the next few years at least.

Redneck Culchie

Do these pubs have anything going for them except cheap drink? Not really a fan of the layout or atmosphere in the English pubs. That said Dublin could do with some lower priced pubs.