Cafe Bar set for Bewley's Grafton Street

The Campbell Bewley Group is close to completing a deal with a restaurant and pub chain that would see the reopening of the Bewley's Grafton Street outlet as a new cafe bar.

The coffee company confirmed to The Irish Times last night that "heads of terms" had been signed between it and Jay Bourke and Eoin Foyle, owners of the successful Cafe Bar Deli restaurant chain.

These terms concerned "an arrangement whereby the Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street might potentially reopen under new management".

Mr Bourke declined to comment to The Irish Times when contacted yesterday. However, sources close to the negotiations said that the proposed new cafe-restaurant would not be in a position to open until the summer.

Apart from the Cafe Bar Deli restaurant chain, which began with the redevelopment of the old Bewley's cafe on George's Street, Mr Bourke and Mr Foyle own the Odessa restaurant and Rí Rá nightclub in Dublin, and the Bodega bar and Savoy nightclub in Cork.

The Campbell Bewley Group said its discussions with the businessmen were "ongoing without any particular deadline and until it is concluded, neither party will be in a position to provide more specific information.

"Campbell Bewley Group has previously stated that it will examine any options whereby Bewley's on Grafton Street could continue to operate as a publicly accessible food service venue."

In its latest edition, published today, The Dubliner magazine claims the outlet would reopen as "Cafe Bar Deli at Bewley's" before the end of April.

The magazine's publisher Trevor White, said yesterday he had spoken to Mr Bourke who had given him "the full tour" of the building. "He is really excited about it. He is looking at putting in a fish restaurant on the first floor."