Base pizza group to open four new outlets in Dublin and Wicklow

The Base Woodfired Pizza Group is planning to open four new outlets in Dublin and Wicklow over the next 12 months.

The artisan pizza business is expanding after going through a recapitalisation plan last year where the Loyola Group increased its stake in the business to 80 per cent.

A note attached to several new accounts for Base Pizza outlets confirms the expansion plan and fresh investment in the business by the Loyola Group.

The restructuring involved a new chief executive Clyde Jamison, a former country manager in Ireland for pizza rival Domino’s, commencing last August to spearhead the expansion.

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Mr Jamison replaced founder Shane Crilly in that role. Mr Crilly has moved to a more strategic role helping to plot the growth of Base Pizza and through his Shalic Ltd retains a 20 per cent share in the business.

A note attached to accounts for the group states: “Base WFP Group continues to see challenges posed by a post-Covid environment as customers return to dining out, together with general inflationary pressures.”

The note states that “measures to combat these challenges include enhancing operational efficiencies, developing a stronger loyalty programme and investing in new technology”.

The note states that “the business will continue to grow over the next 12 months with the opening of four new stores in Dublin and Wicklow”.

The pizza business does not file group consolidated accounts but individual accounts show that profits declined compared with the lockdown profits of 2020/2021 when food delivery businesses thrived due to the closure of eat-in restaurants.

Combined post-tax profits for the five Base Pizza firms totalled €592,804. Among that, in the 12 months to the end of June last, Base Pizza Terenure Ltd recorded post-tax profits of €185,351 – down 45 per cent on the €337,355 for the prior 12 months.

Post-tax profits at Base Pizza Ballsbridge Ltd were €131,452 – 25 per cent down on a surplus of €176,320 a year earlier while profits for Base Pizza Glenageary were down 24 per cent to €119,256 last year.

Continuing the group-wide trend, profits at Base Pizza Stillorgan almost halved to €54,234 for last year, while the surplus recorded at Base Pizza Lucan declined only marginally to €102,511.

The profits were partially offset by losses of €350,074 for last year at connected company Base Control Management Ltd. The management firm employs 85 and its staff costs totalled €2.68 million.