Charlie Chawke-owned Dublin pubs deliver sales resurgence

The strong bounceback in the Dublin pub trade was confirmed in the financial performance last year of several bars owned by Charlie Chawke, one of the country's most prominent publicans.

Three of Mr Chawke’s Dublin pubs – the Goat Bar & Grill, the Oval Bar in the city centre and the Dropping Well in Milltown – have filed results for 2015 in recent weeks, all showing increased profits.

Charjon Investments, the company that owns the landmark Goat, recorded an increase in retained profits of €100,000 for the year to the end of last March, to €1.75 million. The accounts show Charjon paid Mr Chawke and his wife, the directors, more than €250,000.

Alazwar, the company that owns the Oval on Middle Abbey Street, also boosted profits by €100,000 and has shareholders' funds of close to €900,000. Mr Chawke owns a 50 per cent share in the pub, along with his partner Eddie Bohan. Milltown Bars, the owner of the Dropping Well, boosted its profits by €200,000 and has shareholders' funds of €3.1 million.

All three bars generated significant amounts of cash, as the resurgence in the licensed trade gathered momentum in 2015, with industry estimates of an increase across the sector of more than 5 per cent. Mr Chawke also operates Searsons pub on Baggot Street, the Lord Lucan and the Bank pub on Dame Street. He also owns the Orchard Inn in Rathfarnham, which he bought for €22 million at the height of the boom.

“My businesses are going well and turnover is up,” said Mr Chawke. “I haven’t increased prices since the recession began [in 2008].”