The Wright Group has secured planning permission to turn chef Dylan McGrath’s former Rustic Stone restaurant in Dublin into a gastropub.
The permission, granted by Dublin City Council to Mink Fusion Ltd, comes 10 months after celebrity chef, Dylan McGrath shut down Rustic Stone and Brasserie Sixty Six, both located on South Great Georges Street, on the same day on August 15th last.
At the time an email to customers said: “Both have been very successful restaurants in Dublin city for a long time, but the time has come where we have decided it’s simply not sustainable any more.”
Plans were lodged by Mink Fusion Ltd, a subsidiary of the Wright Group, in February for the change of use application and the council delayed the project in April when it asked what the firm’s conservation proposals were for the property which is part of a Victorian commercial development dating from 1881.
However, in a response, Anthony Brabazon of ABA Architects said that while a “conservation gain” was desirable in principle it may not be financially feasible and that this could be carried out at a later time. He noted that the proposed works involved no removal of original features.
Mr Brabazon pointed out that Mink Fusion “as tenants under a lease, are paying substantial rent and would like to get the business open”.
Mr Brabazon said that Mink Fusion “would therefore find the onus of a full restoration, which would involve significant procurement of replacement elements as well as the entire shop front screens on two streets, a big obstacle in their goal to bring the unit back to use”.
In response to Mr Brabazon’s comment, the council’s conservation division said it had no objection to the scheme on condition w that a conservation expert was to be employed to design, manage, monitor and implement the works and to ensure adequate protection of the retained and historic fabric during the works.
A planning report lodged with the application by Manahan Planners has stated said that a gastropub operation “offers a more sustainable business model than the previous restaurant, given current market conditions”.
The most recent accounts for the Wright Group – led by chief executive, Michael JF Wright – show that its pretax profits increased almost three fold to €10.67 million in the 12 months to the end of September 2023 as revenues surged by 38 per cent to €49 million.
The group now employs over 700 people through a collection of over 24 restaurants, bars, food halls, cafes, event spaces and convenience retail.
