a day ago
Eclective to open its first new bar and restaurant since change of ownership at Press Up group
Irish hospitality group Eclective, formerly known as
Press Up
, has signed a long-term lease for the former site of Farrier & Draper on South William Street in Dublin 2.
This will be its first new venue since the change of ownership last year that resulted in investment firm
Cheyne Capital
taking control of the business from its founders
Paddy McKillen jnr
and Matt Ryan.
It is understood that Eclective has agreed a 15-year lease for the site with Clarendon Properties, and will spend up to €1.5 million fitting out the 6,000 sq ft venue over three floors.
The bar and restaurant in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre was previously operated by industry veteran Frank Gleeson.
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Eclective plans to open a cocktail bar on the ground floor of the building, a cheese and wine salon on the first floor, (comprising a wine bar and a retail element), and a 40-seat restaurant at basement level.
[
Eclective ditches previous Press Up plan to open a Stella Cinema in Bray
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The cocktail bar, and the cheese and wine area are scheduled to open before Christmas, with the restaurant slated for a mid-2026 launch.
It is expected that about 40 full and part-time staff will be employed at the venue, which has yet to be given a new name. Millimetre Design, an interior design studio, will lead the fit-out.
Commenting on the lease agreement, Tristan Jacob, chief commercial officer of Eclective, said
: '
We are excited to develop a new premium, modern hospitality concept in the city centre. Housed within the historic Powerscourt Townhouse, we plan to invest significantly to deliver a sophisticated venue to the capital's hospitality scene.'
This will be
Eclective's 27th venue, with the group employing 850 people. Other brands in its portfolio include Elephant & Castle, Wowburger, Stella Cinema, Kaldero and Captain America's.
At the time of the restructuring last September, it was announced that the Wowburger venue on Parnell Street in Dublin would close. The Wagamama restaurants at Dundrum and South King Street in Dublin also both shut.
The South King Street site was subsequently reopened by Eclective under the Kaldero brand. In March, it emerged that Eclective had handed back the lease on a site in Bray that was earmarked for a Stella Cinema.
Press Up was cofounded by Mr McKillen jnr and Matt Ryan and grew to more than 50 venues and about 2,000 employees, including a chain of hotels that were sold in 2023.
London-based Cheyne took control of the business last year following a debt-for-equity swap. Mr McKillen jnr continues to own 5 per cent of the chain.
