AN INTERESTING new food venue in Dublin city will be unveiled early in October when Mortons of Ranelagh become the anchor tenant in the former Station Building at Park Place on Hatch Street.
It will be Mortons first significant expansion away from Dunville Avenue where it has operated a highly successful delicatessen and convenience store for many years.
Mortons is fitting out two of the original 10 vaults which front on to a courtyard formed between the old railway buildings and a substantial office development carried out by the Clancourt Group.
Although Savills HOK had been quoting a rent of €592 per sq m (€55 per sq ft) for vaults five and six which have a combined space of 413sq m (4,450 sq ft), Mortons is likely to have secured a significant concession to attract them into the new city quarter.
Gary Morton, managing director of Mortons, said they were delighted to be moving into what is a classical setting. “We are dedicated to providing a fresh food offering with our large delicatessen that will cater for breakfast, lunch and evening time requirements.”
With Mortons leading the line-up of tenants, there is already competition for some of the five remaining vaults. Simon Cooper of Savills HOK, who is handling the lettings, says Mortons will be joined by other quality food retailers, cafés and restaurants to “create a fantastic new dining hub in this part of the city centre”. One of the firms in negotiations operates a chain of coffee and sandwich outlets while another plans to run an Italian-style restaurant and delicatessen.
Businessman John Reynolds, who operates the Pod nightclub from three of the vaults which he already owns, is planning to convert one of them into a tapas restaurant and bar which will open into the new courtyard.
Park Place is in the centre of the extensive Dublin 2 office area where several new blocks, including those owned by Clancourt, have been developed in recent years. Office buildings in Park Place alone have 2,700 workers with the Hibernian group employing 1,800. Hibernian’s poorly furnished staff canteen opposite the planned new food outlets is unlikely to hold on to the present level of support when the competition arrives in the same courtyard.
