New business venture! Pizza & cocktail wine bar

Marty2018 · 07-05-2025 04:15AM #1

Folks. looking for advice on a new adventure that will work.

Looking to start a high end Pizza & cocktail wine bar along side with my egisting country pub and farm, its a nice opportunity to get into as the location is a busy one.

If there is anything in Ireland that is similar to what iv explained id be more than interested in looking for professional advice in this area, All advice and tips will be grealty appreciated. Thanks

Horse Quack · 08-05-2025 12:02PM

I’m not aware of anything that’s exactly like your describing but the Franciscan Well brew pub in Cork has a wood fired pizza oven in the back garden.

squonk · 08-05-2025 01:47PM

Wine and cocktails sounds fine but I’d worry you’re limiting your clientele by offering just pizza. I’d be inclined to offer a few beers as well if going the pizza only route.

A pub in Ennis run by the Western Herd brewing company offered beer, wine and pizza and tapas dishes. They didn’t last more than a few years. Personally I found the portions a bit small and the prices in the high side. Maybe that’s why they closed. My thinking is if you’re only offering pizza you would need to be doing exceptional pizza. Even at that I’d hedge my bets by using the ovens to do fajitas or similar dishes as well

Dial Hard · 08-05-2025 03:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123428681#Comment_123428681

Kodiak (Rathmines) and Bonobo (Smithfield) both only do pizza and they're always busy, but their pizza is excellent and their drinks offering is even better.

OP, if you want this to work you need to get a proper pizza oven and a proper pizzaiolo in, no crappy frozen or bought-in pizzas. Likewise, you need an exceptional selection of drinks and a great bar team who know about everything on offer. I'd highly recommend you visit the likes of Kodiak, Bonobo, Franciscan Well, Rascal's etc. to see how it's done well. And then do a sh*t tonne of market research to see if it's in any way viable.

crusd · 08-05-2025 04:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058409044/new-business-venture-pizza-cocktail-wine-bar

Its sounds like a provincial town like location. Stone House Pizza bar in Athenry sounds like what you are talking about. Would suggest and Pizza and Cocktail bar is more mid range than high end though. Calling it high end suggests high prices and in smaller towns at least people will only pay so much and to maintain footfall you would need a more mixed crowd

the beer revolu · 08-05-2025 05:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123429257#Comment_123429257

I agree. Pizza and drinks is not fine dining. But both can be done to a good standard without crazy pricing, though. Franciscan Well, as mentioned more than once already, is a great example of high quality at very reasonable prices (not cheap). It's pretty standard drinks and pizza prices but they're very good pizzas and the bar has a great beer list and cocktails at pretty standard city bar prices. They have consistent volume to make their money, I'd say. They aren't relying solely on Friday and Saturday nights. It's busy all the time because it's affordable (and has a beer garden).

squonk · 08-05-2025 08:26PM

The closest I can think of actually is Monryes in Galway. There’sa pizza shop next Dr and you can order from there and eat in the bar. It’s nice pizza and reasonably priced from what I remember. I’d be inclined to go for seeing like that with pizza, simple and tasty and not too expensive. Nobody outside of a heavy Fegan area is going to jerk coming back for just pizza. What whets with the movies formula is you order your pizza and then think a pint would be lovely with it so you head into the bar. They deliver your pizza to you when it’s ready.

the beer revolu · 09-05-2025 09:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123430076#Comment_123430076

Again, please respect other posters by reading over your posts for typos before posting. That's so hard to read! We all have typos but most of us correct most of them before posting.

laros · 15-05-2025 07:07PM

check out Dead Centre brewpub in Athlone, Pizza to die for ….. ! https://deadcentrebrewing.com/

Schrodingercat · 16-05-2025 05:32PM

https://woodfireandwings.ie/#about
They are in Stillorgan . Pizza, wings and cocktails. Don't know it well enough to pass judgement, but it seems similar to what you are planning. They took over a restaurant that had a wood fired pizza oven.

drunkmonkey · 20-05-2025 07:52AM

You should look into something like these hot stones, I first used ones about 20yrs ago in rockhampton, a few pubs had them as it cut out the need for a chef, I’ve seen restaurants here pitch it as fine dining and charge a premium for it, it’s the total opposite as your doing the cooking, throw some chips or veg on the side and you’ll sell these all day long at the right price.
https://blackrockgrill.com/collections/full-set-ups-for-restaurants/products/roxy45-45-rock-45-plate-rock-oven-accessories-set-up

Hodors Appletart · 20-05-2025 08:18AM

Pizza without beer is a mad business decision

squonk · 20-05-2025 11:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123466631#Comment_123466631

Personally speaking I hated those anytime I’ve tried them. When I go out for a steak I want it to arrive cooked to my liking with various sides. I can cook a steak fine at home but I’m going out to get a break from cooking. They tend to be as expensive, if not more expensive than a regular setup with a chef as well. It might be just me but I feel that was a fad that has died and if I saw that on a menu outside a place I’d keep walking.

Dial Hard · 20-05-2025 01:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123466631#Comment_123466631

Please, no. Leave steak on a stone in the mid-noughties where it belongs.

drunkmonkey · 20-05-2025 01:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467266#Comment_123467266

It is expensive here for no reason only gouging, but it shouldn’t be. You could fire out these pretty cheap at speed in the kinda place they’re thinking of opening.

Hodors Appletart · 20-05-2025 01:22PM

yeah, leave steak on a stone in the past where it belongs

paying to cook my own food? no thanks

Black Sheep · 22-05-2025 04:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058409044/new-business-venture-pizza-cocktail-wine-bar

Reggie White did pizza consultations for multiple businesses and restaurants in recent years. He's been associated with Pi Pizza, Base Pizza, Little Forest, Da Mimo and now his own place, Reggie's Pizza.

I think if you're looking for pizza-related guidance, he'd be someone I'd contact.

The bar for Neapolitan style pizza in particular has really raised in recent years, but it's also very do-able… The equipment, ingredients and know-how are all there.

In terms of a business that is "high end pizza and cocktail wine bar" all in one, the closest I can think of is Little Forest in Blackrock. The pizza menu is pretty fancy (I'm not necessarily saying this is a good thing), and they have a good wine list etc.

Menu | Little Forest

If we go down from "high end" to just pizza and wine, then I think I would also mention Little Washer in Glasnevin. It's a wine bar serving small plates, and one of those is always pizza.

Little Washer - Glasnevin Wine Bar Serving Italian Sandwiches, Pizza, Pasta & Small Plates (thewasherwoman.ie)

There are obviously an absolute tonne of places that offer pizza and drinks — wine and beer — but I'm not mentioning the likes of Pi Pizza, Vice etc. Your vision doesn't feel like it's referring to more casual joints like those. If you are, then both of the mentioned businesses would be well worth checking out, as would Cirillo's, Little Pyg and Reggie's, all in Dublin.

At this stage, should be noted that even slice shops like Bambino and Mani pizza offer decent wine by the glass!

New business venture! Pizza & cocktail wine bar

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