Morning Glory Café wins Connock Twitter Best Newcomer Award for 2023
Morning Glory Café in Carrick-on-Shannon was nominated and won the Connock Twitter Best Newcomer Award in 2023. The owner was surprised to win, attending the awards ceremony in Westport. The public nomination came as validation that the café concept was resonating with the community.
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A proud Irishman who worked in Australian cafés returned home to Carrigallen and opened Morning Glory Café, inspired by the vibrant café culture he experienced abroad. Despite initial skepticism from locals, the café has thrived over two and a half years and won a Connacht Tourism Award for Best Newcomer in 2023, becoming a community hub for locals and visitors from surrounding counties.
Açai bowls have suddenly become ubiquitous across cafés in the Shannonside region, with Morning Glory Café in Carrigallen crediting their explosion in popularity to the introduction of the Brazilian berry-based dish about a year into operations. What the café owner initially dismissed as a fad has proven wildly popular with customers, selling thousands of bowls.
An Irish emigrant returned from Australia with a vision to bring café culture home, opening Morning Glory Café in Carrick-on-Shannon two and a half years ago. Initially skeptical locals have become regulars, with the café becoming a community hub. The owner credits his Australian experience of early opening hours and evening freedom for inspiring the business model.
What started as a fad has become a runaway success: açai bowls are now sold in high volumes at Morning Glory Café. The owner sources them through a Galway-based supplier called Allen (contact: Jard Alexander). The bowls feature Brazilian açai berries mixed with various toppings like granola, blueberries, banana, peanut butter, and Nutella.