Restaurant

Dalkey Residents Fail To Stop Caffè Nero Brewing

By Publications Checkout
Dalkey Residents Fail To Stop Caffè Nero Brewing

An Bord Pleanála has rejected an appeal by Dalkey residents against the decision of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown council to grant permission for a Caffè Nero outlet in the village.

The residents of the South Dublin village appealed to An Bord Pleanála on the basis that the area is already saturated with coffee shops, with approximatley 700 residents signing a petition opposing the granting of permission. However, An Bord Pleanála refused the appeal and the café will now be allowed open on Dalkey's main street as "it will not affect the vitality and viability of the village centre or the architectural and heritage character of Dalkey village." An Bord Pleanála did note that the premises is a protected structure and that Caffè Nero must adhere to the relevant conditions attached to it.

This may not be the end of the saga for Caffè Nero however, as Starbucks found to its detriment - when a branch of the popular coffee shop opened in Dalkey in 2008, it lasted only 13 months. With residents so staunchly opposed to Caffè Nero, there is a possiblity that it could suffer the same fate.

Caffè Nero has said that it plans to invest around €20 million in Ireland over five years, opening 40 stores and creating around 350 jobs. It has already opened its first outlet on Merrion Row, Dublin and has just confirmed that it will open its second one at Eirpage House in Donnybrook, Dublin. It aims to have its first six Irish outlets open by the end of the year.

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