Dublin restaurant group Jo’Burger goes under (2024)

A restaurant group owned by an Irish entrepreneur has gone into liquidation and all of its businesses have closed.

Jo’Burger Ltd, which includes Jo’Burger, Crackbird, Skinflint, Bar Giuseppe and Hey Donna, announced yesterday that all its Dublin outlets would close.

The group owned by Joe Macken, a prominent figure in the capital’s restaurant scene, who employed about 100 people throughout his various establishments. Mr Macken said yesterday he had no comment to make on his company’s liquidation.

The group had locations in Rathmines, Castle Market in the city centre, Smithfield, Temple Bar, South William Street, and Dame Street. Some premises hosted more than one brand, such as Castle Market street, where Bar Giuseppe opened just two months ago above Jo’Burger.

The group said it was with “great regret” that it announced the liquidation. “A combination of factors including challenging trading conditions have forced this move,” it said on Twitter. “We would like to thank our many customers for their years of support. But mostly, thank you and sorry to all our crew and suppliers for their dedication and trust.”

Jo’Burger, which originated from an outlet in Rathmines, had previously been in insolvency in 2009 owing €350,000 before it successfully restructured its debt and continued trading. It had been expanding until very recently, but accounts from 2016, the most recently filed, showed a shareholders deficit of €145,000.

Staff at the establishments received notification on Thursday that the company would be closing. It is understood they were told not to turn up, but received wages shortly before the closure.

Jamie Heaslip, a former Irish rugby player, previously held shares in Bear, a steakhouse which Mr Macken opened in 2012 on South William Street. Bear closed last year and Crackbird was moved into the premises.

Hey Donna, a Middle-eastern inspired restaurant, recently won Best Casual Dining at the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) annual awards.

Adrian Cummins, chief of the RAI, said it was unfortunate to lose the Macken empire but he feared it was connected to a “bubble bursting” in the Dublin restaurant scene. He said rents were too high for small business owners. “We might see more closures in the coming months, especially with the VAT being increased from 9 to 13.5 per cent the new year,” he added.

Mr Macken had previously described how he used the economic downturn to his advantage by making use of vacant retail units, cheap rents, and flexible landlords to create pop-up business. He told The Sunday Times in 2011 that he spent less than €15,000 to set up Crackbird, his fried chicken eatery.

Last year, he said that big players in the Dublin’s restaurant scene were pushing rents to an unaffordable level. “Independents can’t keep up — they can’t compete,” he said . “For independents like ourselves to stay in business, we have to seek out places off the beaten track, where we can fill seats and pay the rent.” He also said Dublin had too many restaurants for the population.

Mr Macken grew up in the Conyngham Arms hotel in Slane, Co Meath. It was in the hotel that he developed his interest in food and hospitality.