O'Briens goes into liquidation

MagicMarker

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1007/obriens.html

'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars, which employs 800 people in Ireland, has gone into liquidation.

The development means a less certain future for the chain - although the liquidator said he will try to sell the group will be sold as a going concern.

O'Briens had been one of the big success stories of the Celtic Tiger.

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Established by entrepreneur and one time Fine Gael candidate Brody Sweeney the group expanded into the Asia, Australia and Saudia Arabia.

But with the economic downturn the company was hit hard.

Some outlets became vacant while the group was obliged to pay high levels of rent. The franchise business went into examinership in July which meant it had court protection from creditors.

The examiner tried to put together a takeover deal which would see Abrakebabra Investments buy the franchising group, but a High Court hearing last week resulted in the deal falling through.

In court yesterday, the examinership was halted the group went into liquidation.

As a result Paul McCann from accountancy group Grant Thornton was appointed official liquidator.

This evening Mr McCann told RTÉ News he would seek to sell the business, the brand and maintain staff.

He has permission to continue trading for a week although that can be extended.

Could this be the end of the Trippledecker!?!* :eek:

*Yes I know it's overpriced but dammit I still love it!!

SLUSK

I'm guessing people finally got real and realized it is not a good idea to pay €6-7 for a damn sandwitch!

RATM

Not that I want to see jobs lost but good luck and good riddance to Brody Sweeney and his over-priced rip-off sandwiches.

Neamhshuntasach

Was only ever in an O Brien's once a few years ago out in Blanch and the gay fella behind the counter hit on me. I've never looked at mayonaise the same way again.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Degsy was not available for comment as he was too busy whooping for joy.

CreepingDeath

MagicMarker wrote: »

O'Briens goes into liquidation

So they're selling soggy sandwiches now ?

Wurly

SLUSK wrote: »

I'm guessing people finally got real and realized it is not a good idea to pay €6-7 for a damn sandwitch!

I wouldn't spend 6-7 euros on a sandwich, never mind a sandwitch.

Anyone

Jesus I got a shock when I saw the thread title, I thought it was the off-licence....

MagicMarker

SLUSK wrote: »

I'm guessing people finally got real and realized it is not a good idea to pay €6-7 for a damn sandwitch!

Have you ever had Subway? I'd bet money that you have.

I for one am delighted to see these rip off cúnts gone. Ok rough justice for the staff but seriously who the fook did they think they were with their extortionist prices?

SLUSK

MagicMarker wrote: »

Have you ever had Subway? I'd bet money that you have.

I think I went to Subway in Canada and paid like 4 CAD for a decent sandwich.

m3llowship

never good to see that many jobs go, but they were the worst fúcking sandwichs I have ever tasted. bread was always shíte and the staff would spit on ya before serving ya with a smile.

Maybe they will get bought and turned into a legitimate Sanwich Bar, not a poor, typically Irish effort at something.

Euro_Kraut

I can't see liquidated sandwiches taking off, to be honest.

Dankoozy

The O'Briens in Mallow wasn't bad but it's long gone, their prices weren't bad either, i think it was always less than 4e for a sandwich.

its now a ****ing vodafone store. great, another place to buy a phone that's locked to a crappy network

Four-Percent

Sh*te, I used to work in one

SLUSK

Four-Percent wrote: »

Sh*te, I used to work in one

I used to work

ejmaztec

SLUSK wrote: »

I think I went to Subway in Canada and paid like 4 CAD for a decent sandwich.

That's a hell of a lunch-break - do you work for Fás?

Medievalist

If they're going liquidating the sandwiches....maybe you'd be better off getting the soup

SLUSK

ejmaztec wrote: »

That's a hell of a lunch-break - do you work for Fás?

Obviously I did not go there just to buy a sandwich

thatsa spicy

For me, O' Brien's sandwich bars epitomise the type of overpriced-but-it-dosen't-matter-cause-we-have-so-much-money food outlets that sprung up during the Celtic Tiger to cater for a generation of wa'nkers.
Too lazy and spoilt to bother making their own sandwiches the night before work/college for perhaps a euro.

The same goes for all the fat cnunt school-kids whose parents were happy to give them a fiver a day for their lunch during secondary school so that they could buy crap like rolls out of mace, rather than make the kids lunch at night and fill a plastic bottle with water for them.

Glad to see them going. Couldn't stand the sight of them. They stand out in my mind as having been a particular rip off during the boom years. In fairness, the price difference between what it costs to make your own sandwiches at home and what it costs to buy them off these cnunts would surely indicate that they didn't stand a chance of surviving this recession.
The only situation this particular company could survive in is one where they have a large supply of cash-rich, time-poor middle-class drones looking to emulate the lifestyle of somebody living in new york who meets their friends for coffee while they type up their novel.

Buying sandwiches for 6-7 euro isnt the Irish way folks.
Bread, butter and a slice of ham is.

Oh, and I've never bought subway.

sherdydan

fellas, i wouldnt be to worried about the people who work at the lower end of the scale, as all the stores are franchises. so if O'briens do completely disapear i could well see these stores becoming a co-op as the infrastructure is already there, or at least operate as independant stores. also they would no longer have the money grabbing sweeney taking 10% of their gross, so this infact could be a good thing for all concerned!

Voltex

Ha....I have a copy of last years "Business Plus" magazine where sweeney was waffeling about how great a business man he is...where in reality he was just a prick!

Kone

Jaysus, I was worried there, I thought it was O'Briens Off Licences! (I thought to myself if off-licences are going bust in Ireland maybe the economy is in worse shape that they're letting on!)

starbelgrade

Jay D wrote: »

I for one am delighted to see these rip off cúnts gone. Ok rough justice for the staff but seriously who the fook did they think they were with their extortionist prices?

They never actually forced anyone to buy their sandwiches as far as I know. If people were willing (or possibly stupid) enough to pay silly prices for some bread & filling, you can hardly blame them for taking advantage.

Having said that, it appears that this strategy has also lead to their downfall.

Voltex

It wasnt the s/wiches...there was a natural fall off in business..it was the crazy leases they got themselves into.

musicmonky

OBriens was where all the sexy women where...
pretending to be in L'orel adverts,with newly done fancy hair

Voltex

musicmonky wrote: »

OBriens was where all the sexy women where...
pretending to be in L'orel adverts,with newly done fancy hair

Are you sure your posting in the right thread...the last time i was was served in O briens it was by a Chinese girl with really bad teeth!

Sharpshooter

musicmonky wrote: »

OBriens was where all the sexy women where...
pretending to be in L'orel adverts,with newly done fancy hair

Voltex wrote: »

Are you sure your posting in the right thread...the last time i was was served in O briens it was by a Chinese girl with really bad teeth!

He's writing a song.

Joey the lips

i love how the irish spend many a thread berating the irish businesses. Yes his sandwhich was 6-7 euro but I would rather pay that for a healthy snack than 3.99 for a heart attack in a fast food resturant. As stated by someone also his prices were not dissimular to subway which was an american franchise.

This is another sad downturn. I would have loved to see the business saved. It seems that it like organic veg is destined to be the business of the noughties.

starbelgrade

Sharpshooter wrote: »

He's writing a song.

A follow up to "Dunnes Stores Girl", perhaps?

sunnyside

thatsa spicy wrote: »

Too lazy and spoilt to bother making their own sandwiches the night before work/college for perhaps a euro.

The same goes for all the fat cnunt school-kids whose parents were happy to give them a fiver a day for their lunch during secondary school so that they could buy crap like rolls out of mace, rather than make the kids lunch at night and fill a plastic bottle with water for them.

Glad to see them going. Couldn't stand the sight of them. They stand out in my mind as having been a particular rip off during the boom years. In fairness, the price difference between what it costs to make your own sandwiches at home and what it costs to buy them off these cnunts would surely indicate that they didn't stand a chance of surviving this recession.The only situation this particular company could survive in is one where they have a large supply of cash-rich, time-poor middle-class drones looking to emulate the lifestyle of somebody living in new york who meets their friends for coffee while they type up their novel.

Buying sandwiches for 6-7 euro isnt the Irish way folks.
Bread, butter and a slice of ham is.

.

I have to disagree with a lot of this. I've never managed to make sandwiches for a euro. Proper bread, Irish pride or Pat the Baker around €1.60 a loaf, relish/butter/mayo maybe €3 a jar, cheese €3, bag of mixed salad leaves, ham/chicken/turkey at least €3 for a small packet. OK not €7 a day but not €1 either.

I'm happy to spend around €5 a day on my lunch. It's part of my food budget. If I eat at my desk I have to talk to the people I work with which I like to avoid.

I expect that many people who moan about the price of sandwiches buy a box of cigarettes a day. Same cost.

I think there is still a market for coffee shop/sandwich bars, less than before but it's still there, they just need to be keeping meal deals around €5 or under.

I also need to add that canteen food can sometimes cost as much and then there's the UCC restaurant where food costs more than it does in McDonalds and around the same as it costs in O'Briens.

And why did Abrakebabra want to buy o'Briens? What would a kebab shop be doing with posh sandwiches