Bewleys cafés - suasages and chips like a factory canteen

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Bewleys lost their way when they started selling suasages and chips like a factory canteen. Their coffee has been terrible for many years now.

The Bewleys cafés at Grafton St and Westmoreland St in Dublin are to close at the end of the month, with the probable loss of 234 jobs.

The company said today that they would "make every effort to minimise the personal impact" on staff and added today that efforts will be made to redeploy workers where possible.

It is anticipated however that most of the jobs will be lost. Bewleys is now in consultation with SIPTU about the job cuts.

The company said today that, despite investment of €12m since 1996 in refurbishments at both premises, they had incurred losses of €4m.

"This is to the point where their subsidisation by other, profitable operations can no longer be allowed," Bewleys said in a statement.

The company said changing public preferences played a role in changing the fortunes of the two flagship premises.

"Given the modern consumer’s preference for smaller, more intimate venues, the very large format and major operational costs of these cafés make them difficult to run in modern times."

Increases in costs such as rent, rates and insurance were also blamed, as were increased competition from pubs and other coffee outlets, changes in dietary habits and generally difficult trading conditions in Dublin city centre.

The smoking ban is also being cited by the company as a factor in the decline of business at the Grafton St and Westmoreland St premises.

A proposed major redesign of the premises was investigated, but proved too costly, Bewleys said today.

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Re: Bewleys cafés - suasages and chips like a factory cantee

I would agree with the many people who claimed (a) a lot of the hand-wringing going on over the imminent demise of the Bewley's retail operations rang a bit hollow given that many of the complainants probably hadn't patronised the cafés in years and (b) Bewley's stopped offering quality and value for money a long time ago.

As has been mentioned by others over the weekend, have been running a successful operation offering pretty good food/drink at reasonable prices in the former Bewley's premises on South Great George's Street which begs the question why could Bewley's/Campbell Catering not do it if they were truly committed to the survival retail outlets?

Re: Bewleys cafés - suasages and chips like a factory cantee

I fall into category "a" ClubMan....
A night on the piss in Tample Bar before the inundation of stag parties and before the bars realized that because you were on the piss they could take the piss and charge you the price of a steak dinner for a round of drinks....
Then a stumble up to Bewleys with a couple of mates for the all day special at 1.30 a.m. ....
With a bit of soakage on board there was the zig zag stumble to the night link, stopping off for an acrobatic vomit into the grounds of Trinity college whilst hanging in mid air to the railings of said college at college green.
Ah, them were the days.....
(of course young people now-a-days who behave like that are little scum bags and should be locked up!!)

Bewleys cafés - suasages and chips like a factory cantee

It is sad that Bewleys is to end up so ignominiously! The three remaining cafes and the superb fine art in public galleries were the sparse indicators left that one was in Dublin. As children we loved to stand outside the half-circular window of the Westmoreland Street branch and watch the man in white overalls and cooks hat operating the huge grinder........and the wonderful aroma would waft along Aston Quay and join with the stink of the Liffey (which for years was no better than an open sewer!) and the sharp blast off the hops from Guinness's brewery. Of the smell off Keefe the knacker's yard over by Pearse Street a protective veil must be drawn......(phew!)

Things started to go pear-shaped when the Bewley family offered shareholding and co-management to its staff (about 15 years ago?) At first standards remained. Then the "self-service" was introduced and the place got sloppier and noisier. On visits to Dublin I continued to patronise Bewleys and introduced many visitors to it but in the end it was just for the interiors. Occasionally on winter Saturday mornings I've found the atmosphere and good conversation and conviviality in the back of the Westmoreland Street branch but the coffee and cakes (which was and should have remained the speciality had any thought been given to the business) had become disastrous and in the end Bewleys was a pedestrian, expensive and unappealing "transport caff".

The reasons given by current management to shut down (superseeded by other caterers who do it better, etc.) sound unauthentic. However these huge city-centre sites are prime property and it is much more likely selling these now is seen as the way to maximise returns and cut-and-run.

Sad!

Re: Bewleys cafés - suasages and chips like a factory cantee

With the prices Bewley's charge they should have seen this coming a long time ago, it is terrible news indeed for all the staff who will lose jobs but surely it is their employer's greed which is the cause of this.

Bewleys cafés - suasages and chips like a factory cantee

Bluetoff - I agree with you there seems to be something of shareholders' greed here. Why is it that these days "everything must be the same"......it was Bewley's uniqueness (coffee and gateaux) that was the draw, together with the wonderful interior........and that was allowed to be smothered by trying to do (badly) what other, new eating-places in Dublin were doing better and appropriately.

Re: Bewleys cafés - suasages and chips like a factory cantee

There was some accountant on RTÉ radio this morning calling for tax breaks and rate rebates in order to assist in the survival of Bewley's cafés! The mind boggles... :\

You got to hand it to the Cambell's Catering (aka Bewelys) Public Relations guys. They are playing an absolute blinder.

I believe the Bewleys brand name and franchise was plundered by CC. Once they had the brand name they proceeded to manage the outlets as if they were factory canteens. It comes as no surprise to me that the cafés have experienced difficult trading conditions.

I imagine the Bewleys coffee products which populate every supermarket shelf in Ireland are doing fine.

ajapale

Ave atque vale

so long then bewleys
closing today
the idea was good
the cafe used to be
but no longer anything but beautiful to see
we won't miss the food
but the notion
farewell

Re: Ave atque vale

Is that one of them Emily Dickinson poems or something?

Re: Ave atque vale

I was in Bewleys on Sunday morning last with Mrs Purple for brekkie. Ther was a queue out the door (literally) because they couldn't fry eggs fast enough. About 20% of the seats were empty and there was a queue!
The counter staff were extremely rude and the place was dirty. If that's standard behavour then they deserve to go under.
They had the brand name, the building and the tourists and were put out of business by blow in's. Maybe someone with an interest in keeping it open will buy it....let's hope so.

Re: Coffee dregs

Having been in Grafton St branch several times over the last couple of years, the one thing that strikes you about the staff is (was) that rarely would you hear clear english being spoken - it was always a european versionand gutteral.
I always got the feeling that I was the foreigner and therefore subconsciously was never totally happy.

Re: Coffee dregs

rarely would you hear clear english being spoken - it was always a european version and gutteral.

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Thats funny Jason, any time Ive visited Paudi OSheas establishment in Ventry or Jackie Healy Rea's Pub in Kilgavan they too were not speaking very clear english and seemed to be speaking some gutteral European dialect. It didnt make me feel foreign and for some reason I was quite happy to stay there.

ajapale

Re: Ave atque vale

The counter staff were extremely rude and the place was dirty.

If I knew that my job was being axed in a few days I probably wouldn't bother my This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language doing much either.

Having been in Grafton St branch several times over the last couple of years, the one thing that strikes you about the staff is (was) that rarely would you hear clear english being spoken - it was always a european versionand gutteral.
I always got the feeling that I was the foreigner and therefore subconsciously was never totally happy.

You mean you're xenophobic? But you're right about those damn .

high rents

Nobody seems to have mentioned that Bewley's had to pay about 2,000 a DAY in rent.

Sure how could anybody stay in business with those overheads??

Re: high rents

Hi Protocol,

I didnt know that. Do you know who the landlords are? I suspect that when CC were plundering the brand for the supermarket offerings and hotels they also asset stripped the old cafés. It is a testomony indeed to their PR people that these guys in CC are getting such a soft run by the media.

ajapale

Re: Dregs

No not xenophobic, rather if this is (was) one of Oirland's showcases of literary tradition then forget it.

Strange how the candle always flickers on its way out, judging by the jostling in Grafton St today to get a cup of cawfee.

Rte interviewed some of the staff (at least those who were Oirish) Average age and years of service indicated that most of them served the Borstal Boy his last cup.

Roll on some fancy store with their banned FCEK teeshirts!

Re: Dregs

I read an interersting article on Bewleys in the current edtion of the village magazine. (The Village Magazine doesnt seem to have an internet presence.)

Her analysis is pretty close to my own.

It seems that CC sold the buildings almost as soon as they aquied the company.

She also suggests that Bewleys in Grafton St be handled the same way as the Crown Bar in Belfast which is owned by the National Trust. Some people have an ideological objection to this but I think its a good idea.

ajapale

Re: Bewleys cafés - suasages and chips like a factory cantee

Rents were mentioned in another and immediately dismissed as a cause of bad/rude service, obnoxious prices, and questionable quality.

Re: Dregs

The Village Magazine doesnt seem to have an internet presence.

It does.