O Briens Sandwich bars in examinership

anonymous_joe · 10-07-2009 02:11AM

Their problem is that as franchises they're not all centralised. Thus some are lovely, others are horrendous.

I know that they sued one of their franchisees a while ago for bringing their reputation down.

Spastafarian · 10-07-2009 04:34AM

Interesting factoid:
There's an O'Briens sandwich bar in the shopping center underneath the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Interesting, hmm? There's also a clothes shop called Wanko.

bringitdown · 10-07-2009 06:30AM

Spastafarian wrote: »

Interesting factoid:
There's an O'Briens sandwich bar in the shopping center underneath the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Interesting, hmm? There's also a clothes shop called Wanko.

There are quite a few O'Briens here, I know 6 or so outlets in the KL area.

Popular enough at lunch time but a factor of 2 to 3 costlier than hawker food. Streets ahead of the competition in sandwiches here (IMHO). Obviously not the case back home.

Interesting factoid ... the crispy 'bacon' in outlets here is not pork ... :-(

Enii · 10-07-2009 06:55AM

f®eak s©enery wrote: »

Haven't been there in a while though. On my last visit, I thought I'd get a late evening sandwich at the Westmoreland St. outlet. Man, the thing was rank. I was disappointed that the business would compromise the quality of their ingredients (not that they were astounding to begin with, but this sandwich was especially bad) to extend their opening hours. That one experience honestly put me off so much and I've never been back since.

I think this is where they went wrong.

They started with good quality ingredients an charged a premioum price.

However, they then got greedy. They decreased the quality of ingredients and service but still charged the same premium price and in some cases mae price increases.

People then voted with their feet.......and look where they are now.......

Chumpski · 10-07-2009 09:19AM

I go in there once a week at lunch time. It is expensive to be fair. Between 9 and 10 euro for a coffee, sandwich and a packet of crisps. By right that should be closer to 7 euro. It was nice to sit down and have a read of the paper by myself though which was the only reason i would go in there.

I feel sorry for the staff in the one near work (Ballincollig). Some very lovely people working there. Hopefully they won't lose their jobs.

Heres also hoping the big wigs in the company who charged these ridiculous prices across the country suffer for it or at least wake the f^ck up!

Red Alert · 10-07-2009 09:22AM

The one in UCD is a rip-off shop and quality's gone awful ... in the health sciences building of all places.

anonymous_joe · 10-07-2009 09:25AM

Red Alert wrote: »

The one in UCD is a rip-off shop and quality's gone awful ... in the health sciences building of all places.

It's subsidised and costs less than a normal one.

Quality's ok rather than awful.

Fratton Fred · 10-07-2009 09:35AM

WeeBushy wrote: »

Looks like I'm on my own in mourning here...

Chicken and bacon triple decker, the reason I exist. Expensive, maybe, but if I eat nothing else for the rest of my life I would die a happy happy man. They're just unbelievably good.

I've had many of them in Stillorgan whilst waiting for my daughter to finish a Birthday party in the leisureplex. Feckin lovely.

the thing is, they are a glorified greasy spoon, charging Starbucks type prices, it was never going to last.

plus you can get a decent bagette in spar for half the price.

stovelid wrote: »

I can make you one (with a watery coffee) daily for an inflated price. Just PM.

I can even pretend to misunderstand your order and then slam it down with a air of utter disinterest for added authenticity.

PM sent :P

Don't forget the rocket :pac:

Red Alert · 10-07-2009 09:37AM

anonymous_joe wrote: »

It's subsidised and costs less than a normal one.

Quality's ok rather than awful.

I beg to differ based on how sick I got last weekend. Also no outlets in UCD are subsidized by the college. That has been the policy of the commercial office for many years by now. Not even the main restaurant in the college is subsidized.

sunnyside · 10-07-2009 09:38AM

super_furry wrote: »

Weren't making enough bread at the tills.

Clearly not.

Ardent wrote: »

Can't believe I will never eat another chicken and bacon triple decker. I'm kind of gutted to be honest.

On the news that Broody Sweeney guy said that the examinership applies only to head office for now, that some stores will be closing but not all.

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Their problem is that as franchises they're not all centralised. Thus some are lovely, others are horrendous.

There's a big O'Brien's near me and it's always busy, mainly because they have loads of comfy chairs and sofas and newspapers and customers are welcome to sit and read papers for as long as they want. It's not the sort of place where they are clearing your table as soon as you've finished eating to encourage you to leave. They deserve to stay open.

claiva · 10-07-2009 09:41AM

Very harsh comments lads and obviously many of you have not been in an O'Briens within the last year.
They have loads of very reasonably priced sambos now for less than a fiver and cheese is no longer considered a main filling.

Shame on all of you who are rejoicing the rough times their staff and families are facing into.

stovelid · 10-07-2009 09:44AM

I'm assume that some of the outlets may survive as going concerns. I know a few that seem busy enough too.

Rusty Cogs 08 · 10-07-2009 09:44AM

claiva wrote: »

Very harsh comments lads and obviously many of you have not been in an O'Briens within the last year.
They have loads of very reasonably priced sambos now for less than a fiver and cheese is no longer considered a main filling.

Shame on all of you who are rejoicing the rough times their staff and families are facing into.

Yeah, rip off merchants should never go under, that's how we're going to get ourselves out of this economic mess (I don't think anyone rejoiced in job losses, quite the opposite).

claiva · 10-07-2009 09:47AM

Rusty Cogs 08 wrote: »

Yeah, rip off merchants should never go under, that's how we're going to get ourselves out of this economic mess (I don't think anyone rejoiced in job losses, quite the opposite).

Please explain how "any sandwich + any coffee for €5" is a rip off ?

Red Alert · 10-07-2009 09:54AM

claiva wrote: »

Very harsh comments lads and obviously many of you have not been in an O'Briens within the last year.
They have loads of very reasonably priced sambos now for less than a fiver and cheese is no longer considered a main filling.

Shame on all of you who are rejoicing the rough times their staff and families are facing into.

Harsh comments? They're charging too much and others have caught up with them in quality. The centra in UCD beats them on both freshness and price. Plus the staff aren't gratuitously rude.

powerfarmer · 10-07-2009 09:54AM

Too expensive for what you got, nearly 10 euro for a sandwich , a few crisps and a tea not sustainable when half the country are on a 3 day week ( myself included!)

Scootay · 10-07-2009 10:00AM

I work near the O'Briens on Abbey Street and in the Irish Life Mall. Free toast with any hot drink before 11. Buy one hot drink get one free from 10 to 11. Buy 3 hot drinks get 1 free and a pack of chocolate goldgrain. Return 5 of the cardboard sleeves or trays to the one in the Irish Life Mall and you get a free drink. Sandwich with meat and 2 fillings for €2.99. Loyalty cards (buy 10 to get one free) for as long as I can remember and the staff, who I've never found rude or I wouldn't go back, have always been a mix of nationalities including Irish. I'll be very sorry to see these rip off merchants go even though I only use them for a hot drink and toast in the mornings and have been making my own sandwiches for lunch throughout the so called boom years.

That said there are some of the franchises which are dreadful (especially when in major shopping centres for some reason). I have no idea where the €6 sandwiches are being sold but I've never seen them.

General Zod · 10-07-2009 10:06AM

Scootay wrote: »

That said there are some of the franchises which are dreadful (especially when in major shopping centres for some reason). I have no idea where the €6 sandwiches are being sold but I've never seen them.

Pop down to the IFSC and the O'Briens at the Amien's street end.

6.50 for a Chicken + Bacon triple decker.

super_furry · 10-07-2009 10:08AM

claiva wrote: »

Very harsh comments lads and obviously many of you have not been in an O'Briens within the last year.
They have loads of very reasonably priced sambos now for less than a fiver and cheese is no longer considered a main filling.

Shame on all of you who are rejoicing the rough times their staff and families are facing into.

Well maybe if they hadn't taken the piss so much, they wouldn't be in such trouble. The reason I, and judging by the financial state of O'Brien's, many others haven't been in an O'Briens within the last year is because of poor food, rude staff and overpricing.

You lose a customer through poor practice and pricing, then you lose them for good. It's not like O'Briens have even gone out of their way to win people back. Your claims of reasonable priced sandwiches and the laughable 'cheese is meat' way of thinking being a thing of the past is the first I've heard of it. Why weren't O'Briens out there trying to win back customers?

claiva · 10-07-2009 10:15AM

Red Alert wrote: »

Harsh comments? They're charging too much and others have caught up with them in quality. The centra in UCD beats them on both freshness and price. Plus the staff aren't gratuitously rude.

Do Centra provide tables and chairs...ie..somewhere to sit down and eat ?
The reason this company are in trouble is because the rentals being charged for the floor space is far too high in the "current economic environment" (love saying that phrase btw) !

Good luck to all of you who eat in Subway.......how quickly you forget.....

Anyone with half a brain can see that if more and more people lose their jobs the country will be in a Depression as well as a Recession.
To see so many comments slagging off an Irish owned company that is in dire trouble is sad to see.
And frankly, its unpatriotic.
Good day sir.

super_furry · 10-07-2009 10:18AM

Do your patriotic duty! Overpay for bland sandwiches, pay €1 for them to be toasted and to have them pratically thrown at you by surly staff. Sure it's what Dev would have wanted Begod!

omahaid · 10-07-2009 10:20AM

Scootay wrote: »

I work near the O'Briens on Abbey Street and in the Irish Life Mall. Free toast with any hot drink before 11. Buy one hot drink get one free from 10 to 11. Buy 3 hot drinks get 1 free and a pack of chocolate goldgrain. Return 5 of the cardboard sleeves or trays to the one in the Irish Life Mall and you get a free drink. Sandwich with meat and 2 fillings for €2.99. Loyalty cards (buy 10 to get one free) for as long as I can remember and the staff, who I've never found rude or I wouldn't go back, have always been a mix of nationalities including Irish. I'll be very sorry to see these rip off merchants go even though I only use them for a hot drink and toast in the mornings and have been making my own sandwiches for lunch throughout the so called boom years.

I like to see that companys are making an effort but it is so frustrating when there are conditions (e.g. buy one get one free from 10 to 11).

This also goes for pubs. In Ennis, some pubs have specials on Mondays, specials during matches etc. But one pub has €3.5 all drinks all day, I'll always go there because I know there are no conditions attached, I dont need a loyalty card or anything, just reduce the price, simple.

"Return 5 of the cardboard sleeves or trays to the one in the Irish Life Mall and you get a free drink." ? I just dont hang onto these things so I prob wont be able to take advantage of this deal so I probably wouldnt even try.

Fratton Fred · 10-07-2009 10:24AM

Scootay wrote: »

I work near the O'Briens on Abbey Street and in the Irish Life Mall. Free toast with any hot drink before 11. Buy one hot drink get one free from 10 to 11. Buy 3 hot drinks get 1 free and a pack of chocolate goldgrain. Return 5 of the cardboard sleeves or trays to the one in the Irish Life Mall and you get a free drink. Sandwich with meat and 2 fillings for €2.99. Loyalty cards (buy 10 to get one free) for as long as I can remember and the staff, who I've never found rude or I wouldn't go back, have always been a mix of nationalities including Irish. I'll be very sorry to see these rip off merchants go even though I only use them for a hot drink and toast in the mornings and have been making my own sandwiches for lunch throughout the so called boom years.

That said there are some of the franchises which are dreadful (especially when in major shopping centres for some reason). I have no idea where the €6 sandwiches are being sold but I've never seen them.

I know the guy who owns the franchise on Abbey Street. He is the nicest guy you could meet, I would be very surprised if he allowed his staff to be rude and ignorant TBH.

iirc, the Franchisee has to buy their ingredients from O'Briens, for which they pay over the top, which is why they are so expensive. If they can go it alone, then the better ones may be able to survive.

Queen-Mise · 10-07-2009 10:28AM

so the logic is, we buy expensive, low quality sandwiches off them becaure they are irish owned. That is a great business model.

Are centra not irish owned. And centra not having seats isnt an arguement either as o'briens also did takeaway. Not everyone wants to sit down.

Havent been in an o'briens for years, overpriced. Agree with previous poster soup was rank. Although they did do a special cake daily cheaply.

Scootay · 10-07-2009 10:32AM

claiva wrote: »

"Return 5 of the cardboard sleeves or trays to the one in the Irish Life Mall and you get a free drink." ? I just dont hang onto these things so I prob wont be able to take advantage of this deal so I probably wouldnt even try.

The point being that people want them because the cups are too hot for some to carry or they have many to carry so rather than have people just chucking them out they try to encourage customers to return them so they can be reused.

Enigma IE · 10-07-2009 10:54AM

Shame on anyone who is taking delight @ an Irish company potentially going out of business and and resulting job losses.

It could you YOU next.

super_furry · 10-07-2009 10:56AM

I don't think anyone's taking delight in their problems (they haven't gone out of business). We're just saying they're crap.

Enigma IE · 10-07-2009 11:01AM

super_furry wrote: »

I don't think anyone's taking delight in their problems (they haven't gone out of business). We're just saying they're crap.

Well the opinion poll on this thread says it all. The terminology "good riddance" being used, and clearly the result. I've seen lots of similar attitudes in relation to the motor trade.

Bad form.

super_furry · 10-07-2009 11:05AM

It's a loaded black or white question when the answer is more grey. You give the option, "I'm sorry Irish people may lose jobs, but O'Briens was rubbish and won't be missed." And you'd most likely see that winning.

Look, if O'Briens weren't offering such a poor service, they wouldn't be in the trouble's their in.

Wheelsonthebus · 10-07-2009 11:14AM

Just echoing what most people are saying, very sorry to see people losing their jobs. Hopefully some owners can get rid of the franchise and open their own place?

Anyway to me O'Briens symbolised Celtic Tiger Ireland. €6-7 euro for a sandwich???? no wonder the country is saddled with debt.

€6 euro for a bland tasteless sandwich? Yes please!

€800,000 for a bland tasteless semi-detached? Where do I sign up?!!

O Briens Sandwich bars in examinership

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