Capital Bars
{{Short description|Irish leisure company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Capital Bars and Hotels plc
| logo = Capital Hotels Logo.jpg
| logo_size = 130px
| type = Private
| foundation = 1988
| key_people = William L.B. O'Dwyer, Desmond O'Dwyer, Joint Managing Directors
| industry = Entertainment and Hospitality
| revenue = €36.1m (2004)
| num_employees = ?
| homepage = [http://www.capitalbars.com capitalbars.com]
}}
Capital Bars plc (formerly known as Break for the Border Group plc) was an Irish leisure company based in Dublin. Its core business was the acquisition, development and operation of bars, hotels and restaurants, all based in Dublin city centre. Brothers Desmond and Liam O'Dwyer control the company as Joint Managing Directors. After acquiring Capital Bars in 2001, the O’Dwyers took the company private the following year.{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/capital-bars-comes-full-circle-with-mbo-approval-26060832.html |title=Capital Bars comes Full Circle with MBO approval |publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=15 January 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/pub-barons-odwyers-in-the-red-on-trinity-capital-25933963.html |title=Pub barons O'Dwyers in the red on Trinity Capital |publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=15 January 2015}} The company was dissolved in 2017 following the sale of all its operational assets.{{Cite web|title=Capital Bars Ltd {{!}} Irish Legal & Business Services Company & Director Check|url=https://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Capital-Bars-Limited-306664|access-date=2021-07-28|website=www.solocheck.ie}}
History
The business originally began in O'Dwyers Bar and Lounge, in Mount Street Dublin 2. This small family run pub was extensively refurbished by elder brother Liam O'Dwyer in the early 1980s{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/liam-odwyer-26898528.html |title=Liam O'Dwyer |publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=15 January 2015}} and became the first "victorian style" pub of which Dublin is so well known for now. This was also one of the first pubs in Dublin to sell "pub-grub" at lunch times.
The chain reached its peak in number of pubs in the early 2000s, with 11 pubs/nightclubs, one Planet Hollywood franchise and 3 hotels in 2001;{{Cite web |url=http://www.capitalbars.com/contact.htm |title=Web Page Under Construction |access-date=2001-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010220194541/http://www.capitalbars.com/contact.htm |archive-date=2001-02-20 |url-status=live }} but significant numbers of pubs were divested prior to 2009 including Bad Bobs for €12m in 2006.{{Cite news|title=Brothers sell Bad Bobs for €12m|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/brothers-sell-bad-bobs-for-12m-1.1026176|access-date=2021-07-28|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}} Poor financial performance was reported during the mid-00s.{{Cite news|last=Keena|first=Colm|title=Capital's €10.5m loss due to new 'lifestyles'|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/capital-s-10-5m-loss-due-to-new-lifestyles-1.474412|access-date=2021-07-28|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}
The company entered mixed examinership/receivership on September 19, 2009; five days after poor results showing a 10m euro loss in the previous year.{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/hospitality-firms-seek-court-rescue-to-save-900-jobs-26567413.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150118112109/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/hospitality-firms-seek-court-rescue-to-save-900-jobs-26567413.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 January 2015 |title=Hospitality firms seek court rescue to save 900 jobs |publisher=Irish Independent |accessdate=15 January 2015 }} At that time the portfolio of multi-themed bars (several of them 'superpubs') included: Break for the Border, Café En Seine, Howl at the Moon,{{Cite web|title=O'Dwyer-controlled firms buy assets of Capital Bars|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/odwyer-controlled-firms-buy-assets-of-capital-bars-26569197.html|access-date=2021-07-28|website=independent|language=en}} The Dragon, and The George, Dublin. All were situated in key locations in Dublin City Centre.
The O'Dwyers repurchased ownership of much of the section of the group put through receivership through their company Toji Holdings, with the other premises exiting examinership; however all properties have since been sold.
The "Zanzibar" pub was closed, and has since been sold for redevelopment as a hotel.{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Fora|title=The former Zanzibar Hotel on Dublin's north quays has been sold to an aparthotel group|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/zanzibar-hotel-dublin-lockeliving-2-3177615-Jan2017/|access-date=2021-07-28|website=TheJournal.ie|language=en}}
The Trinity Capital Hotel was sold in 2013{{Cite news|last=Fagan|first=Jack|title=American billionaire agrees to pay €35m for Dublin's Trinity Capital Hotel|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/american-billionaire-agrees-to-pay-35m-for-dublin-s-trinity-capital-hotel-1.1462207|access-date=2021-07-28|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}} with the Grafton Capital Hotel sold in 2015,{{Cite news|last=Carey|first=Brian|title=Panda Waste brothers eye up hotel|newspaper=The Times |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/panda-waste-brothers-eye-up-hotel-tkhpg9p6555|access-date=2021-07-28|issn=0140-0460}} closing for refurbishment afterwards.{{Cite news|last=McCárthaigh|first=Seán|title=Board takes dim view on windowless hotel rooms|newspaper=The Times |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/board-takes-dim-view-on-windowless-hotel-rooms-8qqn962nk|access-date=2021-07-28|issn=0140-0460}}
The remaining pubs - Café En Seine, The Dragon, The George and Howl at the Moon - were sold for a reported €15 million in late 2014 to rival pub and hotel operator Mercantile Group.{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/capital-bars-sell-for-far-in-excess-of-their-guide-price-30667156.html |title=Capital Bars sell for far in excess of their guide price |publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=15 January 2015}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180101154240/http://www.capitalbars.com/ Capital Bars website]
{{hotel chains}}
Category:Hospitality companies of Ireland
Category:Tourism in the Republic of Ireland