You and Barry McBride have set up a restaurant with no name and no prices in Killarney. It's a small place in a converted warehouses with a simple menu and fresh food. There's a real homely feel to the place, we have silent movies playing on the walls and it's put together with old chairs and bit and pieces that we came across.
How does this 'pay as you please' idea work? It's something different for a start, so it's a talking point. But apart from that it allows people to feel really at home. They can pay what they want so they can have what they want: they're not going to be uncomfortable about asking for another pot of tea or trying a cup of soup or whatever. So it's more informal. And it allows everyone to come, because people can give what they can afford. So some people pay more and some people pay less and it balances out. We get everyone coming in, from grannies to tables of teenagers.
The hardest part about setting up a business is . . .you have to put in a lot of time, so I guess it's the hard work, continually go, go, go, go, go, go. That's probably where people fall down – not realising that. The hours at the start are crazy.
The best part is . . .achieving outlandish goals maybe. For me, it's about picking something a bit different and saying, "Right, I'm gonna try to do this." Everyone tells you you're crazy or there's no way that's going to work, and then it actually works and it's great.
My favourite way to relax is . . .I don't really relax. I like to read books where I can learn stuff, or listen to audiobooks. I'm in a band called Hot Tramp. I play lots of instruments: guitar, synthesisers, bass, electronic samples. We played at Puck Fair this year. That was supergood.
You use the phrase "supergood" a lot: would you say you're an optimistic person? Big time. Thinking yes rather than thinking no. People say, 'Oh we have less customers and nobody's spending and we're not making any money', rather than saying, 'What do we need to do to make this work?' Being an optimist is definitely a critical factor in terms of success.
The best book I ever read was . . . Losing my Virginity, Richard Branson's autobiography. It's seriously inspirational and motivational. Lots of people have lots of ideas but never do it. After reading that book, I just do it.
My most treasured possession is...a guitar I made in the shape of Wayfarer sunglasses. Before I decided to do this I was thinking about setting up a guitar company.
Rob O’Reilly and Barry McBride’s restaurant is on New Market Lane, Killarney. Tel: 086-3068253. The restaurant is BYOB
In conversation with Emma Somers
