A LEADING food company, Donnybrook Fair, is to open a large outlet at Stillorgan Shopping Centre in south Dublin. It will be the seventh new trader to move into the centre in the past year.
The company is understood to have agreed an initial rent of around €250,000 for the 371sq m (4,000sq ft) store which will be formed through the amalgamation of three shops.
It will be fourth Donnybrook Fair outlet along with the main shop on Morehampton Road in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 and others in Baggot Street and Greystones. A staff of 30 will be involved in the new store which is to open in April.
Joe Doyle of Donnybrook Fair said that finding the right location was important to the company and they believed Stillorgan was an ideal venue for new and existing customers.
The highly rated trader recently won the main award for the “best extra large store” in a competition organised by Retail Excellence Ireland.
The company employs over 180 people including a team of in-house chefs who produce high quality, fresh, home-made food. The business has had considerable success in recent years.
The decision by Donnybrook Fair to open in Stillorgan will provide a welcome boost for the shopping centre and for owners Treasury Holdings who are shortly to begin discussions with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on the redevelopment of the centre.
The recently approved local area plan for Stillorgan sets down new guidelines and envisages a retail complex of up to 23,225sq m (250,000sq ft). Treasury has greatly enlarged the overall site in recent years after acquiring Blakes restaurant, Leisureplex and the overflow car-park. The redeveloped centre will include more large shop units to appeal to local and overseas traders.
Niall Kavanagh, director of real estate and development with Treasury, says that the well-established nature of the centre, its consistent footfall, affluent south Dublin location, free parking and proximity to the N11 have all helped it to attract new tenants in a difficult retail climate.
Recent arrivals have included Pamela Scott, Miranda Perry, Bags in the City, Golden Spiderweb, Foot Solutions and interior accessories store Gazebo.
Michael Harrington of agent HWBC, who handled the Donnybrook Fair deal, is currently marketing three shops in the centre ranging in size from 139-343sq m (1,500-3,700sq ft).
