Plans To Turn “Iconic” Dublin Greengrocers Into A Coffee Shop Fought By Local Business

Plans to turn a beloved former greengrocers in Donnybrook into a café is being fought by a local business on the grounds that it would "diminish" the area, which is already reportedly saturated with coffee shops. 

Fora reports that the city council gave planning permission earlier in the for Relay Group Ltd to turn the former Roy Fox grocery - which closed down in January after trading for three generations as a family - into a cafe/restaurant. 

The fruit and vegetable store couldn't compete with the prices offered by larger supermarkets.

The owner of an old fish shop next door to the property has submitted an objection to the planning permission and has enlisted Carew Kelly Architects to make a report that states the plans for the renovation of Roy's are “very poorly designed”, “bizarre” and “overbearing”.

“This building is a simple red brick building, carefully designed to its corner location with some subtle brick detailing, which is of its time,” it said.

The appeal says that the plans would turn “a much-loved, landmark food store selling all sort of breads vegetables, food ingredients etc to yet another coffee shop will diminish the retail offering in Donnybrook”.

The complainant also believes that Donnybrook “really does not need yet another place to drink coffee – there are at least four coffee shops within approximately 100m, two of them literally around the corner”.

An Bord Pleanala has until February 8 to make a decision on the case.

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