The owners of the hugely popular Fish Shack seafood oulets have acquired the landmark Bad Ass Cafe in Dublin’s Temple Bar Dublin 2.
Situated on the corner of Temple Bar Square and Crown Alley, the high-profile eatery first opened for business in 1983, and has since then proved itself to be a firm favourite with Dubliners and tourists alike. The property’s leasehold interest was offered for sale by John Hughes of CBRE last December at a guide price of €1.3 million on behalf of Benqueues Limited, run by Martin Tynan, who also owns Kennedys pub in Drumcondra.
While Mr Hughes declined to comment on the price achieved, the cafe’s new owners, Colin and Eoin Pardy, are understood to have paid about €2 million to secure ownership of the premises following a competitive bidding process. The property was transacted on a company-sale basis — Benqueues Limited t/a Bad Ass Cafe.
Commenting on their acquisition of the building, which is run as a restaurant with a seven-day pub licence, the Pardys said: “We are excited to add the Bad Ass Cafe to our group, a well-known Dublin institution which customers have enjoyed for many years. Combining our hospitality experience with new, sophisticated systems, we aim to build on the Bad Ass’s excellent reputation and support this already-thriving business in its next chapter.”
John Hughes of CBRE said: “The sale of the Bad Ass Cafe offered a rare opportunity to acquire a fully licensed restaurant in Dublin’s most established cosmopolitan entertainment quarter. This is a long-established and successful business synonymous with Temple Bar.”
