Irish hospitality group Press Up will next week open a new Asian restaurant at the former Wagamama premises on South King Street, which is located to the side of the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin 2.
Called Kaldero, which means pot in Filipino, the restaurant will open on November 22nd. It will provide a mix of Filipino, Chinese and Indian cuisine. The menus for each have been crafted by well-known chefs, Richie Castillo (Filipino), Daren Liew (Chinese) and Alfred Prasad (Indian).
The 110-seat venue will be managed by Kelan Lowry-O’Reilly and will feature a dining area with an open kitchen and bar. Kaldero will employ 40 full- and part-time staff, of which 36 previously worked for Wagamama before it closed seven weeks ago.
The menu has been set up for shared dining, offering small plates, sharing-sized mains, and sides, complemented by a cocktail and drinks menu created by Gareth Lambe, founder of the Vintage Cocktail Club and part of the Press Up group.
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The restaurant’s interiors have been designed by Irish team O’Donnell O’Neill, known for their work for Press Up on the Stella Cinema, Doolally and Mama Yo. The venue will open from midday to 10pm, serving lunch and dinner. Small plates will range in price from €9 to €14, with large sharing plates from €14 to €40.
The Wagamama restaurant in Dublin 2 was closed in late September, along with sister venues in Dundrum and Blanchardstown after receivers appointed to the Irish hospitality group failed to reach agreement with the UK-based restaurant chain on a restructuring of their franchise arrangement.
Press Up reached agreement with the respective landlords of the South King Street and Blanchardstown sites for them to remain as operating venues within the group. No deal was reached for Dundrum.
In September, London-based lender Cheyne Capital effectively took control of Press Up Hospitality Group with a plan to invest fresh capital into a business founded more than a decade ago by Paddy McKillen jnr and Matt Ryan. As part of a debt-for-equity swap, Cheyne took a majority equity stake in the business.
Cheyne appointed Shane McCarthy and Cormac O’Connor from KPMG as receivers to four entities that comprise 12 venues under the Elephant & Castle, Wagamama and Wowburger restaurant brands. This included Portalon Ltd, the operator of Wagamama on South King Street, Dundrum and Blanchardstown in Dublin.
Both Mr McKillen jnr and Mr Ryan stepped down from the management of Press Up in September. Mr McKillen jnr remains as a minority shareholder with the chain while Mr Ryan has no stake in the business.
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