One of Donnybrook Fair’s stores is among three popular Dublin shops closing their doors in another blow to the hospitality sector in the Irish capital, writes Liam De Brun.
The past few months have seen a number of restaurants close in Dublin, with several claiming their closures is in some part because of the 13.5% VAT rate.
DonnyBrook Fair, located on Baggot Street, closed its doors for the final time last weekend. The speciality grocer is one of five shops owned by the Musgraves group.
Musgraves bought the chain four years ago from the Doyles, who established the business in 1991. The others stores are located in Donnybrook, Dundrum, Stillorgan and Greystones.
Issuing a statement on the matter, the retailer said: “Donnybrook Fair can confirm that the difficult decision has been made to close its store on Baggot Street.
“All staff were offered a role in one of our other Donnybrook Fair stores with no impact on their terms and conditions.
“Customers can now enjoy the full Donnybrook Fair offering at the nearby Morehampton Road store.”
Additionally, UK luxury chocolatier Hotel Chocolat announced the closing of two of its Irish stores by the end of the year.
Both the Dundrum and Henry Street shops, part of the chain established by Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris in 2004, will not make it to 2025 due to the “changed retail environment”.
A spokesperson for Hotel Chocolat said: “We regularly review our strategic options for the long-term development of the business.
“We are concentrating our growth in the UK where we have recently announced our biggest-ever UK store opening roll out and our entry in the US, the world’s largest consumer market with the opening of outlets in Chicago.’
News of the stores’ closures arrived on a week when US fast-food chain Wendy’s announced they are set to create around 300 jobs next year with its impending Irish launch.
