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Mint Restaurant Closing

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  • 23-04-2009 2:33pm
    #1
    fixieboy
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭


    Bought a voucher for E500 as a wedding present on credit card in Mint last month and I see that it looks as if they've ceased trading.

    I rang the credit card company and told them that it looked as if the place had closed and that there was an article in the Herald to back it up but they said I'd have to wait until I had an official liquidation notice....

    Surely the longer I wait the less the chance there is of getting any money back?

    What is the usual procedure for getting money back on Credit Cards and do you have any advice?


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    #2
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    If you paid by credit card then the Credit Card company will have to refund you not the Restaurant as they are party to the tranaction, this is of course they are wound up.

    MC


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    #3
    schmeelad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭schmeelad


    Hey, I also got a E150 voucher for Mint as a gift - less than 2 weeks ago. I assume they knew that they would be closing at the time of purchase but still were happy to take the cash! Surely they can't get away with that??


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    #4
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,274 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    schmeelad wrote: »
    Hey, I also got a E150 voucher for Mint as a gift - less than 2 weeks ago. I assume they knew that they would be closing at the time of purchase but still were happy to take the cash! Surely they can't get away with that??
    There is a reason why they are closing and it is not because they felt like they had cash to spare; and yes, it is legal as they could claim to expect to trade until the point they hand it in.


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    #5
    anonymous_joe
    Registered Users Posts: 9,255 ✭✭✭anonymous_joe


    Thought they were closed for a holiday or something.

    Parents tried to book there a couple of weeks ago, and were told they were on holidays. Didn't know they;d closed down.


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    #6
    i71jskz5xu42pb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,806 ✭✭✭i71jskz5xu42pb


    Don't quote me on this but I think all liquidations will be listed here. I can't see Mint yet but you could do worse than checking each day. I've no idea how else you can confirm that the company is liquidated.

    I'd send a letter to your CC company requesting the refund, just so you have something dated in writing just in case.
    schmeelad wrote: »
    Hey, I also got a E150 voucher for Mint as a gift - less than 2 weeks ago. I assume they knew that they would be closing at the time of purchase but still were happy to take the cash! Surely they can't get away with that??

    I think you'll need to chalk this one down to experience as I don't think there is much you can do.
    Paying for stuff with cash is rarely a good idea.


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    #7
    fixieboy
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭fixieboy


    Right I've ring the CC company and they've told me that I have to wait until an official notice is put on the door of the restaurant.

    i then have to contact the appointed liquidator and write to him about my monies - wait for a reply - and send this on to the CC company who will deal with it from there....the CC company also said that my debt would be paid "after all other debts" had been settled...

    Seems like a lot of work!?!?!?

    Does the fact that I purchased a voucher push my case for repayment any further up the line no?


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    #8
    schmeelad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭schmeelad


    Nevaeh Victorious Rattlesnake wrote: »


    I think you'll need to chalk this one down to experience as I don't think there is much you can do.
    Paying for stuff with cash is rarely a good idea.


    yeah I know - 150 lids to NOT eat there - jesus, really was expensive


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    #9
    calex71
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,126 ✭✭✭✭calex71


    :eek: A 500 voucher??????

    I was going to ask how many football teams was that going to feed, but looking at their prices i nearly fainted :D

    Difficult times for these kinds of operations i guess these days, I'd say theres a few more places that will follow them to the wall. Reminds me i still have some vouchers for a few places i better use up pronto.


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    #10
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,274 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    fixieboy wrote: »
    Does the fact that I purchased a voucher push my case for repayment any further up the line no?
    No it puts you right at the very bottom of it with unsecured debt and chances of the CC company recovering anything beyond a tenner is unlikely.


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    #11
    i71jskz5xu42pb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,806 ✭✭✭i71jskz5xu42pb


    Nody wrote: »
    No it puts you right at the very bottom of it with unsecured debt and chances of the CC company recovering anything beyond a tenner is unlikely.

    OK it puts the OP at the end of the queue in terms of getting anything from the liquidator. Granted, unlikely to get anything from the liquidator.

    However he should be able to get is money back from the CC company as a normal charge back for services not rendered.

    The CC company is unlikely to need to recover anything from the restaurant given that they don't pay the supplier for 30-60 days after they receive payment. So, in all likelihood, the CC company still has his money .


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    #12
    fixieboy
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭fixieboy


    Right, the more I ring the CC company, the more info I get.

    Apparently once the liquidation procedure begins the CC company will refund me the money and the Bank itself will go on the debtors list.

    This sounds a bit too good to be true....anyone else believe this?


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    #13
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    fixieboy wrote: »
    Right, the more I ring the CC company, the more info I get.

    Apparently once the liquidation procedure begins the CC company will refund me the money and the Bank itself will go on the debtors list.

    This sounds a bit too good to be true....anyone else believe this?


    That is exactly what is supposed to happen as per my earlier post.

    MC


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    #14
    fixieboy
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭fixieboy


    MunsterCycling wrote: »
    That is exactly what is supposed to happen as per my earlier post.

    MC

    Sorry MC I missed that ...you're absolutely right on the money, thanks for your help.


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    #15
    schmeelad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭schmeelad


    fixieboy wrote: »
    Right, the more I ring the CC company, the more info I get.

    Apparently once the liquidation procedure begins the CC company will refund me the money and the Bank itself will go on the debtors list.

    This sounds a bit too good to be true....anyone else believe this?


    that's cool - thanks for helping me too guys


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    #16
    darc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 677 ✭✭✭darc


    Looks like they've closed alright, but if they don't have unpayable debts, then there is no need for liquidation.

    It might be a case of having to write to them asking for value of voucher to be refunded.

    Mint is the business name of a company that operates the restaurant.
    Registration # 243910 www.cro.ie
    Pay €2.50 and you get a copy of the registration documents that will give further details.


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    #17
    artyeva
    Registered Users Posts: 2,137 ✭✭✭artyeva


    ha - on their website they're advertising a special tasting menu next tuesday!!!

    http://www.mintrestaurant.ie/index.htm


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    #18
    fixieboy
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭fixieboy


    Just saw that Mint creditors meeting is on May 5th...is there anywhere I can get official information on this online?


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    #19
    darc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 677 ✭✭✭darc


    From insolvencyjournal.ie

    Mint Restaurant, Ranelagh
    The Michelin-star restaurant in Ranelagh, which is run by fiery celebrity chef Dylan McGrath, has called a creditors’ meeting for 5 May in the Holiday Inn, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Mint recently shut its doors, blaming the economic downturn. It has liabilities of €773,000.

    Unfortunately, at €773,000 it is highly unlikely that any voucher will have value in the liquidation.


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    #20
    IvyTheTerrible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    anonymous_joe wrote: »
    Thought they were closed for a holiday or something.

    Parents tried to book there a couple of weeks ago, and were told they were on holidays. Didn't know they;d closed down.


    AFAIK, they were closed for a break, and then didn't open again after the weekend. I know because I know someone that worked there, who got a text from the chef saying that their job was gone.


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    #21
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    IvyTheTerrible wrote: »
    AFAIK, they were closed for a break, and then didn't open again after the weekend. I know because I know someone that worked there, who got a text from the chef saying that their job was gone.

    Nice way to let your staff go :( OP if I was you I'd turn up at that creditors meeting in the Holiday Inn and confront Dylan McGrath personally about it. According to the rumour mill Mint was going out of business for at least 9 months so he knew well he shouldn't have been selling vouchers he wasn't going to be able to honour.


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    #22
    IvyTheTerrible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    RATM wrote: »
    Nice way to let your staff go :( OP if I was you I'd turn up at that creditors meeting in the Holiday Inn and confront Dylan McGrath personally about it. According to the rumour mill Mint was going out of business for at least 9 months so he knew well he shouldn't have been selling vouchers he wasn't going to be able to honour.

    Also AFAIK, McGrath is just the head chef; he doesn't own the restaurant.


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    #23
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    Maybe so but he's the guy with the Michelin Star so I'd be very very surprised if he is not involved as an investor, after all he is the one bringing the most business through the door by having the star in the first place. The star is awarded to the chef, not to the restaurant so its fairly typical that a Michelin starred chef would be given a % of the business to work there.

    He was also quoted on the radio a number of months ago as saying 'the restaurant is struggling in these recessionary times'. Hardly the language of someone who only cooks and doesn't have a financial interest in it.

    In either case the owners/directors will be at that liquidators meeting, the OP can find out who they are through the Companies office. Id approach them personnally, it might be the best chance s/he has of getting the money back.


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    #24
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    The directors ( not the chef) may be liable for RECKLESS TRADING


    http://www.liquidation.ie/Claims_for_Reckless_Trading/Claims_for_Reckless_Trading.754.html

    You may ask the liquidator about section 297a of the Companies Act 1990

    ..and whether it APPLIED at the MOMENT that money was taken for your voucher . The ODCE can also make such a finding
    1. If in the course of winding up of a company or in the course of proceedings under the Companies (Amendment) Act 1990, it appears that—
    (a) any person was, while an officer of the company, knowingly a party to the carrying on of any business of the company in a reckless manner;…
    the court, on the application of the … liquidator … of the company, may, if it thinks it proper to do so, declare that such person shall be personally responsible, without any limitation of liability, for all or any part of the debts or other liabilities of the company as the court may direct.

    2. Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) (a), an officer of a company shall be deemed to have been knowingly a party to the carrying on of any business of the company in a reckless manner if—
    (a) he was a party to the carrying on of such business and, having regard to the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person in his position, he ought to have known that his actions or those of the company would cause loss to the creditors of the company, or any of them, or
    (b) he was a party to the contracting of a debt by the company and did not honestly believe on reasonable grounds that the company would be able to pay the debt when it fell due for payment as well as all its other debts (taking into account the contingent and prospective liabilities).


    Although the Section refers to the possibility of unlimited liability on the part of any officer against whom a declaration of reckless trading is made, the nature of the remedy is, in practice, restricted having regard to the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in O’Keefe v Ferris and supplemented in a number of cases under section 204 of the 1990 Act, most importantly in the judgment in Mehigan v Duignan.

    In the O’Keefe case it was noted that any sanction imposed “should be proportionate to the wrongdoing that has been made out.”


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    #25
    Esmeralda34
    Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭Esmeralda34


    Hi All

    Does anyone know if the premises is up for rent/sale? Or what the previous rental cost was?

    Es :rolleyes:


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    #26
    fixieboy
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭fixieboy


    Has anyone heard a name for the Liquidators for Mint Restaurant?

    The creditors meeting was last Tuesday but no notice has been posted anywhere.

    I need to get letters written fast so that I can recover money from a gift voucher.

    Are liquidators appointed at the creditors meeting or are they appointed by the courts? Whats a typical amount of time between a creditors meeting and a court appearance?


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    #27
    I.K.Brunel
    Registered Users Posts: 42 ✭I.K.Brunel


    fixieboy wrote: »
    Has anyone heard a name for the Liquidators for Mint Restaurant?

    The creditors meeting was last Tuesday but no notice has been posted anywhere.

    I need to get letters written fast so that I can recover money from a gift voucher.

    Are liquidators appointed at the creditors meeting or are they appointed by the courts? Whats a typical amount of time between a creditors meeting and a court appearance?

    The CRO received notification on 14th May 2009 of the appointment of the following liquidator:

    Patrick McCoy
    Ferris & Associates
    21 Holles Street
    Dublin 2.


    I doubt he'll be providing anything for holders of vouchers.:(


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    #28
    fixieboy
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭fixieboy


    Thanks man!


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    #29
    BlackEdelweiss
    Registered Users Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭BlackEdelweiss


    RATM wrote: »
    The star is awarded to the chef, not to the restaurant.

    The star is actually given to the Restaurant, the Michelin star encompasses the whole dining experience from the quality of the tablecloth, the silverware, the waiting staff, the thickness of the toilet roll and the quality of the food. You dont get many michelin stars for running your average restaurant even though the food may be absolutely beautiful, money and investment buys Michelin stars, the chef's food has to live up to the pretentious nature of the Michelin star system.


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