If you're in Dublin 8, and rely on a top-notch cup of coffee to kick off your week, then we have some bad news for you – The Fumbally will no longer open on Mondays from August onwards.
According to a statement posted on the wall of the café today, the decision was based around a need to expand without adding any new staff.
"We have gone from serving just eggs falafel and coffee with only ten people to full breakfast and lunch menus with specials that change every two days and a staff that has more than tripled in size," it said.
"It has become apparent that for us to continue to give the service that we want to give in the Fumbally we need to make some space. We need to not grow any bigger in terms of staff and we need to all have the energy to be able to arrive into work happy and fresh."
But the news isn't all bad – the café is going to reinvest its resources in some very exciting-sounding initiatives over the coming months, including the enticing prospect of a weekly dinner night at the venue.
"By creating this extra space for ourselves, we will hopefully be able to do all the extra things that we want to do – develop a learning programme in [adjacent venue] The Stables, possibly start doing dinners in the Fumbally one night a week, establish exchange programmes for our staff with local growers to gain experience on the land etc."
We might miss the Monday morning caffeine fix, but this is really great to see. In a city that's been stung before by too many businesses trying to expand too far too quickly, this is a brave and ballsy move to grow while keeping the magic alive.
Fair play, guys.
