Dawson Street area cafés have reacted to the arrival of yet another UK restaurant chain, Pret a Manger, which is set to open this summer in the city centre. ‘Pret’ follows a number of other UK chains such as Wetherspoons and Café Nero that have set up shop in Ireland in recent years.
The new Dawson Street branch is the first of 20 coffee and sandwich shops that the company intends to open in Ireland.
While most local café owners and managers are positive about the unit being occupied after a long period of vacancy, some are concerned about the effect of more and more large chains on Dublin’s identity.
Read More: The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast spotted filming together in Ireland for special occasion
“Competition is always good because it keeps us on our toes,” says Séan Carroll, owner of the Il Fornaio café on Dawson Street. Il Fornaio has a small number of cafés in the Dublin area and also roast their own coffee offsite.
“It’s good to have full, active units to increase footfall,” he says. “If it creates jobs, it’s a good thing.”
He is concerned, however, about the impact chains like Pret a Manger are having on the city’s diversity of options, saying that the arrival of more of these big chains is making the city “bland.”
“High rents in the city centre are pushing independent cafés and restaurants out of town,” he says.
Carroll says it’s much harder for independent actors to secure units in the city centre than it is for large corporate chains with ample resources, legal departments and big reputations.
For individuals trying to open their own place and secure a lease, “they have to jump through a lot of hoops,” a daunting prospect for one person, he says.
“We like competition,” says barista trainer Mike Patterson, echoing Carroll’s initial reaction. Mike works at the Dublin Barista School on nearby South Anne Street.
Owner James McCormack says that the school, which has a café at the front, is unlikely to be affected negatively by the chain’s arrival.
“We’re lucky because training is our main business,” he says. He does say that the costs of running a café are going up at the moment though, citing inflation and changing habits brought on by the pandemic.
Two doors down from the site of the new Pret a Manger franchise is Carluccio’s, another UK chain with just one café in Ireland.
General manager Ross Keately is also encouraged by the fact that the once vacant unit will now be occupied, saying it will help to increase footfall. On competition, he is similarly unworried.
“My coffee is better, I know that,” he claimed.
He is personally torn between welcoming the jobs the arrival will bring and the impact these large chains have on Dublin’s culture.
“That’s how Dublin is going,” he says, “start-up costs are too expensive.”
“You don’t want to see everything being chains but it will bring jobs.”
A Pret spokesperson said: “We’re looking forward to opening our Dublin shop this summer where we know customers love and appreciate premium coffee. We look forward to working alongside the much-loved local cafes and restaurants and bringing even more options to the city.”
READ NEXT:
- Cabin crew member shares Ryanair travel tip to sit together without paying for a seat
- Man horrified after being charged €10.50 for bottle of cider in Irish pub
- Gang use golf clubs and wheel braces in vicious brawl caught on camera in Duleek, Co Meath
- Urgent recall issued for popular Dunnes Stores product after allergy warning for 'several' batches
- GAA club 'proud of member' despite sick Damien Comer public comment over dad
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
