Bewleys is gone...yipee

FX Meister · 30-11-2004 09:21PM

eth0_ wrote:

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!

wow, didn't know that. Technically Belfast doesn't count as they would see that as the UK, and I take it the Microdoft campus isn't publically accessible.

FX Meister · 30-11-2004 09:23PM

dregin wrote:

"Starbucks" is in DCU aswell.

No it's not

eth0_ · 30-11-2004 09:25PM

And they're in DCU apparently.

Starbucks make nicers drinks than most pissy Irish coffee houses.

dregin · 30-11-2004 09:27PM

FX Meister wrote:

No it's not

Where did you come up with that? Sign's say starbuck's. It's the exact same setip as in M$.

FX Meister · 30-11-2004 09:29PM

Where about in DCU is it? According to Starbucks themselves they only have two stores in Ireland, one in Belfast and one in Antrim.

dregin · 30-11-2004 09:33PM

The main canteen.

Tiriel · 30-11-2004 09:35PM

ClareBear wrote:

Everyone says that about everywhere they work though lol

yeah but it was more how the owners treated the staff and the less than minimum wage.. among other things..

more the lack of respect they had for their staff than anything else!

flogen · 30-11-2004 09:38PM

Well they (starbucks) announced plans to open 30 stores across the country over the next year or two. The first regular one is in Belfast, I heard claims and counter-claims in relation to DCU, I'll have to check it out some time... anyone got directions to it from the Helix?

It would be mad to see Starbucks open over Bewleys (and do a Footlocker job... they announced the deal with Champion Sports, and had all the stores rebranded in about 2 weeks... mad stuff!). I dont think Starbucks would take that land though, it's far too big for that kind of outfit (or at least their first one). its a fast-drink place no need for so much seating. I know they have some, but not that much.

As for Bewleys closing, I dont know. They were losing money, they did severely lack service and quality and they were over priced so they kinda deserve to close (a half decent manager would have made good of that place, it should be popular by name alone, they should have been making profit on tourism alone!). It is sad to see a unique shop go from the city, and a piece of Irish culture disappear, but sadly we can't get all rosey eyed on these things, Dublin has moved on and Bewleys couldn't keep up. It may be part of our past but it's not as important as other landmarks or buildings.

flogen

FX Meister · 30-11-2004 09:39PM

dregin wrote:

The main canteen.

Are you sure it's not just a rip off? I've never been to the main canteen so I don't really know.

dregin · 30-11-2004 09:40PM

How do you mean claims?? It's either there or it isnt
I'll take a photo wth my next cup outside the helix and post

Blackjack · 30-11-2004 09:44PM

As far as I am aware, Campbells Catering is the least favourite for Catering Graduates to work for. I assume their ethos applied to Bewleys, hence the muck food and worse service.
Can anyone in the business confirm?.

dregin · 30-11-2004 09:46PM

FX Meister wrote:

Are you sure it's not just a rip off? I've never been to the main canteen so I don't really know.

No. It is definitely Starbucks. Heh I dunno why I'm tryin so hard here, i hate them. Their coffee rules my life tho :P

FX Meister · 30-11-2004 09:49PM

Yeah I love their Caramel Machiato. I remember one in manhatten I used to go to. When you were sitting down having your coffee you could look accross the road and see another one on one corner and another still on the opposite corner. Not exactly a great place to agree to meet someone.

JackKelly · 30-11-2004 10:05PM

they do have wireless networks in some of them though

snappieT · 30-11-2004 10:20PM

FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT - One rep point coming your way.

I just hope that it doesn't do what it did on Henry Street, and turn into a Lifestyle sports to harvest more scumbags.

Re the Starbucks thing: I can't confirm it will happen in Bewleys old premises, but I do know that Gloria Jeans Coffee Houses will soon all become Starbucks - I can't wait! (I average 6/7 cups of coffee per day)

Finally, I heard on the news that they had over 4,500 signatures on the petition to keep it open. If each one of those nostalgic fools went in just once a week, and bought just a crappy overpriced coffee (and maybe a cake), Bewleys would make over €3200 daily from JUST THOSE PEOPLE - sure illustrates how much they really care!

Once again, thank you

super_furry · 30-11-2004 10:23PM

I'm another who won't be sheding a tear over the death of Bewleys. Horrid, overpriced 'food' and terrible service meant it was just a matter of time.

Lump · 30-11-2004 11:02PM

There's a starbucks on every corner pretty much in London... who cares at least it's clean and the staff smile and they serve decent coffee, the whole point of a coffee shop one would imagine.

John

JackKelly · 30-11-2004 11:05PM

lol. was just on the news....well, in one of the shots, standing on the balcony in bewleys!

Burago · 30-11-2004 11:10PM

Lump wrote:

There's a starbucks on every corner pretty much in London... who cares at least it's clean and the staff smile and they serve decent coffee, the whole point of a coffee shop one would imagine.

John

You'd swear there aren't places in Dublin already doing that. Coffee Society serve great coffee in really nice shops with friendly staff as do Butlers and O' Briens to a lesser extent.

Bewleys on Grafton St is a listed building so it'll be really interesting to see what becomes of it.

Mercury_Tilt · 30-11-2004 11:29PM

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flogen · 30-11-2004 11:40PM

merky wrote:

You lot are missing the point about Bewleys closing down. Bewley's is a name synonymous in the history of Dublin. I think thats why people are upset. A lot of people used to "hook up" there back in the day.
Ok so it went sh1t and the end result is it closing down. That does not take away from the fact that some of the people in Dublin see it as a piece of their history going down the drain. I feel nothing for it but I can still get "dubs" reminiscing.

I think most people here gather that, but it's this kind of rosey-eyed look at the world that gets my goat, as has been pointed out, where were these people when the shop wasn't under threat? Very few went to Bewleys, thats for sure. It used to be the heart of Dublin, but that's changed. It does have a lot of history and hopefully whatever goes there next will respect that and pay homage to it, but I don't see the point in keeping a badly run company afloat for the sake of it's name. chances are the new company in the building will be a coffee place, they wont be able to change the building because its listed and it will keep whatever charm it still has, (and perhaps improve and modernise it) all that will change is the name of it and hopefully the service, prices and quality of produce

flogen

Mercury_Tilt · 30-11-2004 11:52PM

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honru · 01-12-2004 12:04AM

Aye, Bewley's were always horrible experiences when I went there as I kid, t'was a kip, always seemed like a sulley place to have coffee/meal/snack.

A mega-Starbucks to take its place though? That doesn't sound too good. Whatever does take its place will be shíte anyway so it doesn't really matter. A typical British high-street store would be worse.

JackKelly · 01-12-2004 12:06AM

f®eak s&#169 wrote: »

Whatever does take its place will be shíte anyway so it doesn't really matter. A typical British high-street store would be worse.

lol,glass is half full right?

eth0_ · 01-12-2004 12:43AM

It's the real deal. DCU are hardly going to call a coffee stall 'starbucks' if it's not actually STARBUCKS!

These stalls are really common in the UK, loads of companies have them in their canteens.

GuanYin · 01-12-2004 12:52AM

flogen wrote:

It used to be the heart of Dublin, but that's changed. It does have a lot of history and hopefully whatever goes there next will respect that and pay homage to it, but I don't see the point in keeping a badly run company afloat for the sake of it's name. chances are the new company in the building will be a coffee place, they wont be able to change the building because its listed and it will keep whatever charm it still has, (and perhaps improve and modernise it) all that will change is the name of it and hopefully the service, prices and quality of produce

flogen

I'll miss it, in my misspent youth Bewleys was the meet up point for the lads after we all scored and went our separate ways on a night out. Many a Friday/Saturday afternoon was spent trying to piece together what happened the night before and using the food and drink as a sort of cement patch-up for the damage induced the night before.

Anyway, I don't think any foreign company will ever beable to reproduce the ethos of Bewleys. When you consider the poor service, value for money and decor you realise that Bewleys is the embodiment of the Dublin food service industry..... we'll miss it.

dregin · 01-12-2004 12:56AM

Courtney Love was arrested outside Bewley's on Grafton street.

sionnach · 01-12-2004 12:58AM

FX Meister wrote:

Are you sure it's not just a rip off? I've never been to the main canteen so I don't really know.

yes, dublin city university could quite possibly rip off a massive global brand with countless millions of dollars ready to be converted into legal clout and then place it in one of the most prominent positions on campus.....

Mercury_Tilt · 01-12-2004 01:00AM

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Superman · 01-12-2004 01:01AM

oh good ol'bewleys !

this is a great example of the Irish mentality, bitch an moan about something while we got it, then reminisce when its gone!
just ask an ol' person about the 80's and you'd swear it was a briliant decade!

Bewleys is gone...yipee

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