# O'Briens Sandwich Bar in Examinership



## Raskolnikov (9 Jul 2009)

I'm sure that they will find a buyer, but I imagine that the organisation will have to shrink given the current climate.

What do people think though? I have to say, I won't lament the collapse of O'Briens. I remember getting a sandwich there one time and getting charged €1 to get it toasted  Subway will toast your sub for nothing for cryin' out loud!


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## starlite68 (9 Jul 2009)

i agree,they were way to pricey..got away with it during the boom years...but not these days!


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## Sunny (10 Jul 2009)

I never really used them but I still hate that things come to this. They were one of the great Irish business success stories. Their brand is still very valuable so I would imagine they will come out of this stronger. No better man than Brody Sweeney to turn things around.  They do need to look at their whole product offering though.


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## Purple (10 Jul 2009)

sunny said:


> i never really used them but i still hate that things come to this. They were one of the great irish business success stories. Their brand is still very valuable so i would imagine they will come out of this stronger. No better man than brody sweeney to turn things around.  They do need to look at their whole product offering though.



+1


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## galleyslave (10 Jul 2009)

nice sandwiches but too pricey. you could spend the guts of 10 euro there for a sandwich and coffee. Mind you, eating out is too pricey in any case over here.


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## Celtwytch (10 Jul 2009)

My local branch of O'Brien's has already transmogrified to a coffee bar/deli.  Did wonder what was happening.


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## Guest116 (10 Jul 2009)

I love the coffee in O'Briens. But the prices really need to be adjusted which I am sure they find hard to do when the landlords won't budge on the rent.

€3.50 for a large cappucino (take-away) is a bit pricey!


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## Caveat (10 Jul 2009)

aristotle25 said:


> €3.50 for a large cappucino (take-away) is a bit pricey!


 
Do you think so?

I've never bought anything from O'Briens/Subway etc but I would have easily expected €3.50 or thereabouts TBH.


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## MandaC (10 Jul 2009)

It is time for O'Briens Irish Sandwiches to get the Irish back.  I used to love O'Briens when they first came out,  but have found down the years the standards have dropped and sometimes it is very hard to get the staff to understand you at all and there are some branches that I would not go to at all.

With the boom in Celtic Tiger, they lost it and now should start again.  Also agree at a euro to toast a sandwich it is too much


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## elefantfresh (10 Jul 2009)

There are 3 sandwich shops near my job and 1 of them is O'Briens. I've been into it once and it is absolutely, totally overpriced. I paid 5.50e or so for a toasted something or other. Fair enough if thats what you want to pay but it seems that people are not longer willing to.


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## wavejumper (10 Jul 2009)

I've always found their sambo selection very basic and choice of ingredients very limited.  Sambos are also overpriced, the staff also seems to change very often in the branch near me which in my opinion makes it hard to create any sort of bond.

There's better places around here that have a more varied choice of ingredients with a more continental feel.  I always think of boring brennans bread sanwiches with coleslaw and ham when I think of O'Briens.


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## cork (10 Jul 2009)

Completely over priced.

Irish people realised that a ham sandwitch were overpriced.

A Wake upcall for many retailers.


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## gillarosa (10 Jul 2009)

The problem is with the UK end of the operation apparantly as they have been making a loss there for the past three years. There are approx twice as many units there as in Ireland and there were guarantees given by O'Briens for the leases most if not all were in prime rental areas with high rent and when some Franchisee's couldn't meet the lease payments it had to be covered as per the guarantees given.


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## Sunny (10 Jul 2009)

gillarosa said:


> The problem is with the UK end of the operation apparantly as they have been making a loss there for the past three years. There are approx twice as many units there as in Ireland and there were guarantees given by O'Briens for the leases most if not all were in prime rental areas with high rent and when some Franchisee's couldn't meet the lease payments it had to be covered as per the guarantees given.


 
The UK business went into administration a few weeks ago. The Irish business has been loss making for the past two years and as you say, the company found itself tied into leases for non-performing stores and closed stores. 

Somebody mentioned above that this is a wake up fall for retailers. I think more importantly it should be a wake up call to landlords in this Country especially in Dublin. The problem is that people invested in commercial property at very low yields during the bubble and probably can't afford to see rents drop but something has to give before the High Street disappears. Upward only rent reviews for example have to end.


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## mro (10 Jul 2009)

My local O'Briens advertises a 'special' take away coffee for €2.50 where as the coffee shop accross the road sells it at €1.70 and always has....crazy....I used to love O'Briens and would be sad to see it go but it never moved with the times...think i'll go get a coffee now..


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## Abbica (10 Jul 2009)

I refuse to pay a fortune for a ham and cheese sandwich which consists of a slap of butter, 2 ends off a tomatoe and a tiny square of edam with more holes in it than cheese!! I haven't been there in years. 

Gerry Ryan did that test on his show, what is the most expensive sandwich in ireland. The found out but can't remember the name of place on Fitzwilliam street. It was a chicken wrap worth €9.95. The woman on his show said she nearly fell when the assistant, who was very embarrassed, asked her for the cash. Extortion.


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## Kine (10 Jul 2009)

Overpriced and under-tasty. Irish, Japanese, Indian...it doesn't matter. If your business model sucks, you'll end up bust!

However, I just went to Donnybrook Fair there for the last time...€5.15 for a roll. The mark-up on these is astounding!


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## Staples (10 Jul 2009)

I think the problem with O'Briens is that thay never offered anything you wouldn't make yourself with a little bit of forethought and their premises were bland and soulless for eating in. The most exotic offering was the chicken tikka which looks and tastes like plain chicken with "a bit of sauce". It stands to reasons that this limited level of fare will be the first to suffer in a downturn.  I think people are still willing to pay for something good but won't hand their hard-earned cash any more for this kind of rubbish any more.

As for the coffee, you can good stuff in petrol stations without having to pay 3.50.

Other places like Munchies, Mortons etc may not be any cheaper but you get a lot more variety for your buck.


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## Protocol (10 Jul 2009)

Caveat said:


> Do you think so?
> 
> I've never bought anything from O'Briens/Subway etc but I would have easily expected €3.50 or thereabouts TBH.


 
Really? 3.50 for a take-away drink?

I think that is *extremely expensive*. Even if it's very large.

It just shows how different opinions there are out there.

I would expect to pay 1.00-1.50 max for a take-away drink.


Then again, I also feel that *some commercial rents need to fall by 50-90%.*


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## gipimann (10 Jul 2009)

Raskolnikov said:


> What do people think though? I have to say, I won't lament the collapse of O'Briens. I remember getting a sandwich there one time and getting charged €1 to get it toasted  Subway will toast your sub for nothing for cryin' out loud!


 
Subway in the UK have re-priced their rolls and now charge more for toasting!  If it hasn't already been introduced here, I'm sure it's only a matter of time!


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## Purple (11 Jul 2009)

Protocol said:


> Then again, I also feel that *some commercial rents need to fall by 50-90%.*


 I agree, it's the root cause of many of our problems.


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## cerberos (11 Jul 2009)

"Then again, I also feel that some commercial rents need to fall by 50-90%."

And same for all CS & PS wages, Minister & TD Salaries, County Councillors expenses, Bin Charges, Motor Tax, NCT, Tolls, Planning Applications, City Parking, Travel Taxes, Levies, Health Insurance, Social Welfare Benefits (Those that are not being abolished), Exam Fees, ......................... & on & on ...................


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## bond-007 (11 Jul 2009)

What I hate about them is their hidden charges. Toasting a sandwich adds more than 1 euro to the price yet this is not advertised anywhere in store. They always ask "Do you want it toasted?". They never say that will cost you more.

Good riddance.


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## room305 (11 Jul 2009)

Kine said:


> Overpriced and under-tasty. Irish, Japanese, Indian...it doesn't matter. If your business model sucks, you'll end up bust!



The suckiest part of their business model was the fact that the company extended guarantees over the leases. That meant they could not contract operations during the recession and were left holding the can when franchise owners closed up. This in turn impacted their ability to drop prices to match competitors.

Never been a huge fan of their offering but it's clear they were doing something right since they were so popular. My sister worked in a franchise for a summer and she couldn't believe the money people were spending in the place - two sandwiches, two coffees and a bag crisps probably wouldn't leave change from €20. People would complain but kept coming back.

I imagine they will come out of receivership but it's a tough market, my local Centra sells coffee for a €1, hot chicken rolls and breakfast rolls for €2. Somedays coffee or tea is free with any purchase so you could conceivably buy your lunch for €2. There can't be much margin available to the retailer at that price - will O'Briens be able to compete?


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## bond-007 (11 Jul 2009)

> will O'Briens be able to compete?


I doubt it.


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## RMCF (11 Jul 2009)

Comes as no surprise that these sandwich bars are finding it tough.

I have eaten in the odd place (not O'Briens to be fair) both RoI and NI, and I think in this climate very few people are prepared to pay the guts of €6 upwards for a sandwich and cup of tea/coffee.


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## Graham_07 (11 Jul 2009)

Mr Sweeney built up a fine business and I would be sorry to see any business fail. However O'Briens were ALWAYS overpriced in relation to similarly good fare from other, individual non-franchised outlets. It is just that now people see that.


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## smiley (11 Jul 2009)

Graham_07 said:


> Mr Sweeney built up a fine business and I would be sorry to see any business fail. However O'Briens were ALWAYS overpriced in relation to similarly good fare from other, individual non-franchised outlets. It is just that now people see that.



It was a fine business at the start but things slipped in the last 5 years or so. He also failed to keep ahead of the competition which was probably his major downfall.

Its not dissimilar to what happened at Starbucks. They lost the run of themselves and the minute a recession arrived they almost went bust.

The two obriens in my town are pretty tacky. They just feel very clinical. The decor didn't match the high prices.


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## brodiebabe (12 Jul 2009)

Graham_07 said:


> Mr Sweeney built up a fine business and I would be sorry to see any business fail. However O'Briens were ALWAYS overpriced in relation to similarly good fare from other, individual non-franchised outlets. It is just that now people see that.


 

However, the quality used to be better for the inflated prices.  the quality of the sandwiches and fillings really decreased and yet they still kept the prices high.  It just didn't add up - an average/poor sandwich for a premium price.


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## ophelia (12 Jul 2009)

My family and I rarely used O'Briens because we found that every sandwich tasted of onions, and they always used the same knife/board for cutting meat sandwiches as they did for vegetarian ones!


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## bamboozle (14 Jul 2009)

Caveat said:


> Do you think so?
> 
> I've never bought anything from O'Briens/Subway etc but I would have easily expected €3.50 or thereabouts TBH.


 

was in Lisbon this weekend, a coffee in any restaurant/coffee shop over there was 40-50cents


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## Guest116 (14 Jul 2009)

A bit unrelated but I have to say the quality of Insomnia's sandwiches are pretty high.


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## terrontress (14 Jul 2009)

I always enjoyed O'Briens and felt that they tried to brand their sandwiches, which was good. The tripledecker is a great sandwich and worth paying a bit extra for. Something you wouldn't see elsewhere. They were the first places that started offering wraps (Wrappo) in a big way.

People may complain about paying €6 for a sandwich and coffee but at the same time people are paying over €3 for a coke in a pub and over €5 for a pint so when compared to those, it is not so expensive. Cappuccinos are luxury items and anyone who has bought a coffee in the Topaz at the Ballymun M50 roundabout knows that poor coffee is not necessarily cheap.

The inclusion of fresh sandwiches in every Spar and Centra must have hit them hard as they can use their floor space more efficiently whereas the sandwich and coffee was all O'Briens could offer. Also, the deli counters tend to have a fraction of the staff that O'Briens do. And if the deli counter runs out of a filling it is tough although I have never had that happen in O'Bs.


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## liaconn (14 Jul 2009)

I was never a big fan of O'Brien's but its sad to see the demise of a really good Irish success story. To be honest though , for most people the days of casually spending €7-€8 a day on a sandwich and a coffee are gone. I know I certainly can't afford it anymore and I would imagine very few people will be able to justify it for much longer. Bringing in your own lunch is the easiest way to save €20-€25 euro a week - basically €100 a month.


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## terrontress (14 Jul 2009)

liaconn said:


> Bringing in your own lunch is the easiest way to save €20-€25 euro a week - basically €100 a month.


 
Over the year that's the cost of a holiday to Thailand or somewhere similarly exotic!

I think we'll see other luxuries providers struggle. Car washes, pubs, taxis, fast food.

It is very easy to justify the high costs of all of these luxury items when compared to others but on their own they just don't stack up.


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## Mpsox (14 Jul 2009)

terrontress said:


> Over the year that's the cost of a holiday to Thailand or somewhere similarly exotic!
> 
> I think we'll see other luxuries providers struggle. Car washes, pubs, taxis, fast food.
> 
> It is very easy to justify the high costs of all of these luxury items when compared to others but on their own they just don't stack up.


 
Strangely it's said in a recession, sales of fast food booms because people eat in at home instead of going out to pubs/restaurants etc. I know a new chippie opened up a few hundred yards from where I live a few weeks ago and is doing a bomb


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## terrontress (14 Jul 2009)

Mpsox said:


> Strangely it's said in a recession, sales of fast food booms because people eat in at home instead of going out to pubs/restaurants etc. I know a new chippie opened up a few hundred yards from where I live a few weeks ago and is doing a bomb


 
That's only with the recent splurging for sun-dried tomato at €5 a pop in mind.

Give it six months and people will question the need for spending €2.50 for a portion chips when they can get a bag of McCain Home Fries to feed the family twice for €4.00!

I suppose Ireland is renowned for its fast food takeaway anyway with the best selling Dominos in the world being in Tallaght.


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## Betsy Og (14 Jul 2009)

liaconn said:


> Bringing in your own lunch is the easiest way to save €20-€25 euro a week - basically €100 a month.


 
I'm a carvery man meself so you could double that cost. One aspect not to overlook is the social aspect of lunch, good for the soul/mental health! to meet friends, keep up contacts etc.

Now if I was consistently eating sandwiches every day (particularly if at my desk) then defo would be making my own.

If things should become v v bad then I'll give it up but they'd want to be fair bad before I start to skimp on feeding myself.


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## Purple (14 Jul 2009)

terrontress said:


> Over the year that's the cost of a holiday to Thailand or somewhere similarly exotic!



€1200 for a holiday in Thailand... do you stow away on a cargo ship to get there?


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## terrontress (15 Jul 2009)

Purple said:


> €1200 for a holiday in Thailand... do you stow away on a cargo ship to get there?



You'd be surprised! There are great deals on holidays this year, given that sterling drives the cost of most holidays that connect through London.


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## liaconn (15 Jul 2009)

Mpsox said:


> Strangely it's said in a recession, sales of fast food booms because people eat in at home instead of going out to pubs/restaurants etc. I know a new chippie opened up a few hundred yards from where I live a few weeks ago and is doing a bomb


 
I've also noticed a growing tendency amongst myself and friends to meet in someone's house for a takeaway (with everyone chipping in)  rather than going to a restaurant.


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## Kine (15 Jul 2009)

liaconn said:


> .....someone's house for a takeaway (with everyone *chipping* in) rather ......


 
Boom Boom!!!


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## ringledman (18 Jul 2009)

aristotle25 said:


> A bit unrelated but I have to say the quality of Insomnia's sandwiches are pretty high.


 
Agree. Great quality sandwiches and coffee. Their 3€ (coffee and muffin) and 5€ (coffee and sandwich) deals seem to be the best value out of any chain. 

I always go to Insomnia's. Always a good set of magazines and papers around and a nice decor.

O'Briens had the writing on the wall years back. I haven't eaten their more than twice in the past 5 years for the reasons mentioned above.

It is amazing how they didn't get with the times and reprice and re decor to suit the market. A little market research would clearly show them their problems years ago.


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## terrontress (22 Jul 2009)

ringledman said:


> Agree. Great quality sandwiches and coffee. Their 3€ (coffee and muffin) and 5€ (coffee and sandwich) deals seem to be the best value out of any chain.
> 
> I always go to Insomnia's. Always a good set of magazines and papers around and a nice decor.
> 
> ...


 
I wouldn't know about Insomnia. They have a stupid name, given that their shop at the top of Camden St. shuts at 6.30 in the evening.


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