Courts / Ireland / Report

Bewley's landlord seeks arrears and possession of iconic property

Summary

In a fast‑track Commercial Court case, RGRE Grafton Ltd, controlled by developer Johnny Ronan, has sued Bewley's Cafe Grafton Street Ltd for alleged rental arrears of €747,000 and possession of the 78‑79 Grafton Street premises. RGRE claims it is the successor in title to the lease, which began in 1987, and that the annual rent of about €1.4 million was due quarterly. The cafe had requested a six‑month rent holiday during the Covid‑19 pandemic, but RGRE refused, citing the tenant's parent company's cash reserves of over €6 million and net assets of €5 million. RGRE also alleges the cafe intends to close permanently and has not engaged in any meaningful negotiations since late April. The court granted RGRE permission to have the case entered on the Commercial Court list, with the hearing scheduled for 13 July 2024.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Bewley's landlord seeks arrears and possession of iconic property. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• Monday July 13th Hearing Or Sentence
• 2020-07-08 Publication

Why: Counsel said that one of the reasons the request was refused was because the tenant's parent company Bewley's Ltd, which it claims is owned by the family of businessman Patrick Campbell, was sitting on cash reserves of over €6m and net assets of €5m, counsel said. CNI source report

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Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report