FX Buckley’s rebranding aims to grow beyond the steakhouse

The business behind six pubs and restaurants, including FX Buckley on Dublin’s Pembroke Street, has rebranded to expand beyond steakhouses.

The Buckley Collection also includes well-known Dublin pub and restaurant Ryan’s on Parkgate Street and Galway’s McSwiggans pub and restaurant, acquired just before the pandemic. It is currently being refurbished with a traditional Irish pub theme, while the upstairs restaurant will ‘present the food of the West’.

Also, as part of a succession plan for the sixth generation family business, Stephen Buckley has been promoted to co-managing director of the company with his father Des.

He also said sales at the various venues were up between 5 and 14 per cent from pre-Covid levels, depending on location.

“Our name is obviously FX Buckley, but we felt it had its limitations — that people thought we only had the steakhouses and the other brands and restaurants were seen as secondary.

“So we created an umbrella brand to integrate them all and allow us to expand into different markets,” Buckley said.

He told Ryan’s of Parkgate Street: “A lot of people thought we rented the restaurant upstairs. We were sorted into steakhouses and considered very meat orientated. This enables expansion into different markets.”

Other locations include the Bull and Castle in Christchurch, FX Buckley in Temple Bar, FX Buckley Steak and Seafood in Monkstown and a grocery and grocery store on Pembroke Street. Another branch of the family owns the butcher shop FX Buckley.

While restaurant closures have been in the news, Buckley said her business is growing even though profit margins have declined slightly due to rising costs.

“Maybe people are going out less and spending more,” he said, adding that spending on wine has increased.

Corporate business has returned strongly, he said, and reservations for the coming year are very encouraging.

However, he warned the government against raising the VAT rate for the hospitality sector as he believes smaller restaurants could struggle.

He said restaurants have covered some costs, such as energy increases and food inflation, and passed some on to customers. However, venues would first have to pass on a VAT increase to customers.