Ronan Group Real Estate has said that it is hopeful that the Bewley's café on Dublin’s Grafton Street will reopen on Monday June 29, despite the announcement made in May that the decision had been made to permanently close the venue.
When asked by The Irish Times to clarify whether the café will reopen next week, a Bewley's spokesperson said that there is "no further information" to add to the announcement made in May.
Ronan Group Statement
Meanwhile, Ronan Group chief executive Rory Williams told The Irish Times, "Restaurant and café businesses across the country are putting in place the final preparations for reopening on June 29th. It remains our hope that Bewley's Café Grafton Street will be among them. Ronan Group has made contact and tried to engage with Bewley's and with the Campbell family on more than five separate occasions before and since the shock announcement that the company intended to close the café, without reply.
"We have said consistently since learning of the planned closure through the media on May 6th that we remain open to engaging in meaningful dialogue that could lead to the closure being averted.
"It was not our decision to close the café, and it is certainly not our preferred outcome. Nevertheless, if Bewley's remains closed and if the Campbell family continues to refuse to pay rent, we will be left with no option but to take the necessary steps to protect our position."
Possible New Food Operator And Boutique Hotel
While Williams would not say what steps the Ronan Group might take to protect its position, It is understood by The Irish Times that if the group moves to secure the premises, it will start searching for a new food operator for the property's ground floor and explore plans to open a boutique hotel on its upper levels.
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