140 jobs to go in Bewley's due to excessive rent

foggy_lad

Some of the staff could be part time and they should close up and reopen somewhere like O'Connell Street or Talbot St where they will be appreciated even more by shoppers.

Wossack

Highflyer13 wrote: »

:eek: Jesus thats a ruthless hike, they must have been raking it in to even agree to that.

I believe the rate was readjusted every 5 years, so they were half way through a fixed period when they were sold in 2005. I dont think anyone could have envisioned the frenzy that hit at the peak of the boom, so I'd say the 2007 figure shocked both sides of the house

The Bould Rabbit

Bootros Bootros wrote: »

Rent in Grafton Street is upwards only mostly

Same as commercial rents everywhere else then.

foggy_lad wrote: »

Some of the staff could be part time and they should close up and reopen somewhere like O'Connell Street or Talbot St where they will be appreciated even more by shoppers.

Bewleys north of the Liffey. :eek:

This comment from earlier springs to mind -

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Does not compute.

Peist2007

You'd swear someone held a gun to their head the day they signed their lease.

There obviously has not been a recent rent review as same would have led to a reduction to a more market based rent. So, what gives Bewleys?

Specialun

The owner of this gaf

Is he linked to FF or FG

malibu4u

Wossack wrote: »

Height of the boom, 2007, rent doubled from 700k to 1.5m.. and its been that since.

If the country was ran properly 2002 - 2007 property prices and rents would not have risen so much, leading to so much misery - and indeed some suicides - in some peoples lives now - but not in the lives of the fatcats who were running the country. Thank you government, regulator, central bank, banks.

HeidiHeidi

Peist2007 wrote: »

You'd swear someone held a gun to their head the day they signed their lease.

There obviously has not been a recent rent review as same would have led to a reduction to a more market based rent. So, what gives Bewleys?

You clearly don't understand the meaning of UPWARD ONLY rent agreements.

(I'll confess that I couldn't give you chapter and verse on them either, but I do know that they only go one way......)

readytosnap

even at 14 hours a day opening they would need to take €294 an hour just to cover the rent :eek: thems a lot of beans

hoodwinked

Peist2007 wrote: »

You'd swear someone held a gun to their head the day they signed their lease.
?

the location probably was a gun to their head, i'd imagine they were told "if you want to stay on Grafton Street your rent is now X"

i've been in there a few times these past few years, my 5 year old loved it there on trips to the disney store she would insist we stopped for a scone. awful to hear it's closed as the staff were always so lovely to us, especially as we were so awkward standing around in there unsure of if we were to sit and order, or wait to be seated.

DoomZ

It seems high...I know a big hotel in Clare 140 was the staff number

Donkey Oaty

I don't know the legal and commercial ins and outs of this, but Bewley's in a different location will not be Bewley's.

Without wishing to be over-sentimental, there really are issues of national heritage at stake.

King Tut of Egypt, The Duke of Wellington, James Joyce and Bob Geldof, not to mention the Harry Clarke windows - this is more than just a café.

http://bewleys.com/bewleys-grafton-street-cafe/our-heritage

maxwell smart

While I will admit to having a certain fondness for the Bewley's cafe on Grafton street, can we take things into perspective here?

They serve crap coffee, the food is only average and its a rip off.

The 'traditions' of Bewleys in my youth (long time ago) are well and truly long gone since being bought out by Campbell Catering (yes a Catering company, not a food or coffee company).

There is obviously not enough business to keep it going at it's present size and service offering. There are so many coffee shops close by who serve far superior coffee and food.

Would not be surprised to see it reopen as a 'high end' food destination, it has stagnated and been left far far behind.
It is of course a shame that 140 people are being let go but again that is a result of poor management decisions and a lack of investment. If they were tied to that level of rent they needed to drive their prices and service upwards. Just go into the basement of Brown Thomas (Carton Cafe I think its called) and have a soup and coffee for 2 people. €35 and you have to queue to get a seat. The market was there for Bewleys they just didn't look hard enough for it.

Did I say their coffee is crap? Because for a company know for their coffee that is unacceptable!!

Donkey Oaty

maxwell smart wrote: »

While I will admit to having a certain fondness for the Bewley's cafe on Grafton street, can we take things into perspective here?

They serve crap coffee, the food is only average and its a rip off.

The 'traditions' of Bewleys in my youth (long time ago) are well and truly long gone since being bought out by Campbell Catering (yes a Catering company, not a food or coffee company).

Very fair points.

Has anyone made the case for nationalising it, with a café on the ground floor and museum/arts centre stuff on the floors above?

maxwell smart

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Very fair points.

Has anyone made the case for nationalising it, with a café on the ground floor and museum/arts centre stuff on the floors above?

Sure Nama 'own it'. According to some 'experts' that means its already been nationalised

Seriously though, that sounds like a good idea, worthy of a progressive, inclusive European Capital City. Pity it's located in Dublin so!

coffee_cake

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

There is also a theatre upstairs and the cafe opens at 8am until 10pm most nights.

I really like Bewleys cafe, hope this doesn't spell the end of it altogether.

Me too, I really like it

ofcork

Campbell catering are themselves owned by a company called Aramark now who hail from the us.

The Bould Rabbit

Said on the news that only the ground floor will be open after the refurb.

Won't be the same without the first floor when the balcony is open.

thisonetaken

DeJa VooDoo wrote: »

Didn't FG promise to abolish upward only rental agreements?

"Shure that's just something you say at election time" - Pat Rabitte

Pwindedd

bluewolf wrote: »

Me too, I really like it

I've only been once, but the building itself is beautiful and a lovely place for a spot of lunch. I only had a smoked salmon sandwich and a pot of tea and it was lovely, but I can't speak for the coffee.

It would be a shame - 1.5 million is a ridiculous rent. Grafton St may be the place to be in Dublin, but it's not that fecking special. There's shopping streets just like it in many towns all over Europe.

Tony EH

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0106/670590-bewleys-grafton-street/

I've never been in the cafe, so can someone please explain how a single cafe can have 140 staff?

It's massive.

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

So what do you think? Are business rents too high or is this just poor management by Bewleys (140 staff!!)?

ALL rent is ridiculously high.

skydish79

Is bewleys closing immediately ?

InTheTrees

Very sad. A little piece of local history gone.

And when it reopens it will just be a small recreation of what it once was.

darkpagandeath

I'm lost, It's a cafe that has been through several owner's and such it's not the same company that started there. Apart from the name what's historical about it ? Fair enough if it was a family owner from day one till now. People get far to attached to company's.