Bewleys is gone...yipee

giftgrub · 30-11-2004 07:09PM #1

Am I missing the point over the whole Bewleys thing?

All I've been hearing on the radio today is a load of old geezers going on about how great Bewleys is, how they had their confirmation there back in 2000BC.

Here's what I think.

Bewleys Grafton Street was a big noisy kip....I found it wasnt particularly clean...the overpriced coffee wasnt great...it was either too watery or too bitter like it had been sitting there for 3 weeks.

The staff were miserable...the food was stodgy at the best of times..you'd find cleaner toilets in a Baghdad jail.

And what about all those people protesting against the closure on Grafton street today? Dont they have jobs?

It was closed for financial reasons....4 million euro down the crapper....if dubs loved the kips so much they would have gone there more, then they wouldnt have had to close.

now...glad i got that off my chest

smoke.me.a.kipper · 30-11-2004 07:11PM

i agree gerry ryan going on about it this morning. and then said he hadnt been in there in years. prooves your point.

Uthur · 30-11-2004 07:23PM

Well said sir - excelsior to you!

angeldelight · 30-11-2004 07:25PM

I agree, I don't know how they expected to do well, they charged above average prices for very very below average food. Surprised they didn't close sooner actually

tinkerbell · 30-11-2004 07:39PM

Yah I don't understand the whole ruckus about it either. As regards all those protesting people, did they go to Bewleys all the time, enough to keep it in business? Obviously not since it was suffering huge losses.

What annoys me is how do people expect a business person to keep Bewleys open just for the sake of it when they are suffering losses - cop on like!!

ClareBear · 30-11-2004 07:48PM

Some massive queue outside there today....God I hate Grafton Street when it's busy! :mad:

Waltons · 30-11-2004 07:48PM

Didn't they make something like €400 million losses?
In all honesty, I don't think their die hard consumer base could really take responsibilty for that filling that gap. That's a lot of scones and cups of tea.
I can kinda see where the protesters are coming from but, to be honest, I don't care. It doesn't bother me if I'm going into a Bewleys or some other lookalike cafe to get a drink or have something to eat. I've probably only been there once in the past year.

Jim · 30-11-2004 07:50PM

Went in with a friend of mine last week, she wanted to go in "one last time" type of thing. Got myself a tiny glass of "fruit juice" and a chicken baguette thing. The juice was manky and the roll and chicken actually tasted like cardboard, actually.

The whole thing cost me over €5. Good riddence.
Isn't supposed to turning into a Starbucks or something?

daveirl · 30-11-2004 07:53PM

This post has been deleted.

Guy:Incognito · 30-11-2004 08:19PM

Waltons wrote:

Didn't they make something like €400 million losses?
.

Now that WOULD be a lot of coffee and scones.

FX Meister · 30-11-2004 08:22PM

You sure it's going to be a Starbucks? They ain't a franchise and last I heard they had no intention of setting up here. But then we did catch up with the rest of the world as regards drinking coffee. But wouldn't it be too big for a statbucks?

Jim · 30-11-2004 08:23PM

Oh no, I've no idea. I just heard that ..... somewhere.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 30-11-2004 08:25PM

maybe it'll turn into a coffeeshop

Burago · 30-11-2004 08:27PM

There was an article in the business supplements a good few months ago about Starbucks wanting to open 50 places here! Bewleys on Grafton St. Is much too big for them. Think more along the lines of H&M, Zara or more British high street bollocks using the site.

Guy:Incognito · 30-11-2004 08:30PM

itll probably become a graham o'sullivans or something and be the same with a different name.

Jim · 30-11-2004 08:37PM

Giant O'Briens tbh.

JackKelly · 30-11-2004 08:37PM

i heard it was a starbucks as well.By the mad man protesting outside. That's the only reason im sad to see it go.Was in there just before it closed, they were singing songs and the whole lot.Damn Americans, first foot locker, now starbucks.

pickarooney · 30-11-2004 08:40PM

What's the craic with Starbucks? I've never seen one, but apparently there's one on every street corner in Americaland. Do people really need that much coffee? Do Irish people even drink coffee? I never asked myself the question until I moved here - I think the average Hollander drinks 1.8 litres a day. Anyway, Bewleys was always cack, so who cares if it's gone.

eth0_ · 30-11-2004 08:40PM

FX Meister wrote:

You sure it's going to be a Starbucks? They ain't a franchise and last I heard they had no intention of setting up here. But then we did catch up with the rest of the world as regards drinking coffee. But wouldn't it be too big for a statbucks?

Erm...there are two Starbucks in Dublin, on the Microsoft campus. And one in Belfast. I heard from a reliable source that Starbucks are going to open in the old Bewleys on Grafton St. I can't wait!

JackKelly · 30-11-2004 08:45PM

pickarooney wrote:

What's the craic with Starbucks? I've never seen one, but apparently there's one on every street corner in Americaland

Its literal.There IS one on EVERY corner. When i was in one in san francisco, we left, looked across the road, and there was another one sitting there.

pickarooney wrote:

Anyway, Bewleys was always cack, so who cares if it's gone.

I care, as it will be a starbucks!And i really dislike starbucks

aodh_rua · 30-11-2004 08:50PM

Can't say I'll miss it. Lots of sentimental people remembering going there as kids but never since. They seem to have completely missed the coffee revolution, and no business can operate on their losses. I also disagree that the State should step in to bail them out - can you imagine explaining that to a patient on a hospital trolley.

At the same time, it will be a shame to lose another building to the British high street. Alas, for a building that size, the only other option is a superpub!

Tiriel · 30-11-2004 08:51PM

I worked in the Bewley's in Cork before it was closed down.. oh man did I celebrate!! after working in there I never ever ate in a Bewley's again.. say no more!! That was the one in Cork I suppose.. but heh they can't be that different..

ClareBear · 30-11-2004 08:54PM

Cork_girl wrote:

I worked in the Bewley's in Cork before it was closed down.. oh man did I celebrate!! after working in there I never ever ate in a Bewley's again.. say no more!! That was the one in Cork I suppose.. but heh they can't be that different..

Everyone says that about everywhere they work though lol

Sleepy · 30-11-2004 08:58PM

Just passed the one on Grafton Street and it's jammed with people trying to "Save Bewleys". Such a load of crap! It's a dive, badly managed and provides crap food. Personally I'd welcome Starbucks, at least they make a good cup of coffee!

Waltons · 30-11-2004 09:04PM

Whoops, not 400 mil. My mistake.
I heard it on the radio this morning whilst getting dressed. Wasn't listening properly.
Viva la Starbucks! Maybe...

Blackjack · 30-11-2004 09:05PM

I have to agree, Bewleys was fairly crappy as it goes. Overpriced Manky coffee, Overpriced Terrible food, freezing Manky premises and lousy staff. It is a little sad from a Nostalgia point of view but as regards what you got in there, no loss to be honest.
Not sure Starbucks would be too welcome though, they are on every street corner in the US (a process they call clustering AFAIK) which drives out all the local competition.

Rb · 30-11-2004 09:07PM

It's a pity its gone, imo, sure enough I hadn't been there in the last few months but like, as long as its not turned into some cheap fast food place I'm happy

Oh and, f<uk Starbucks.

dregin · 30-11-2004 09:08PM

"Starbucks" is in DCU aswell.

jonny68 · 30-11-2004 09:10PM

Ill agree the food was overpriced,etc but it was a historic landmark in Dublin society and it is sad to see them close..... :rolleyes:

Agent Smith · 30-11-2004 09:14PM

jonny68 wrote:

Ill agree the food was overpriced,etc but it was a historic landmark in Dublin society and it is sad to see them close..... :rolleyes:

thats life

"and I, for one welcome our new starbucks overlords..."

Hobbes · 30-11-2004 09:15PM

pickarooney wrote:

What's the craic with Starbucks? I've never seen one, but apparently there's one on every street corner in Americaland.

Its how they do it that is annoying. (ref: No Logo)

Basically they would saturate an area with shops and then move onto another area once all the competition had been killed off. They would also set up shop right beside any other coffee shop in the area if possible and/or buy out any existing coffee stores leases from under them. In most cases without even the coffee stores knowing thier lease had been sold.

Its artsy-fartsy crap in store for the pseduo intellectuals who if they knew what they got up to probably would never buy coffee there again.

Bewleys is gone...yipee

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