From a lockdown food truck to a landmark pub: The Cork brothers behind Dacent Munch
Brothers Liam and Ciarn Horgan have been steadily building their food and drink business. Picture: Jim Coughlan
Northside brothers Liam and Ciarn Horgan have seen their venture Dacent Munch grow from a modest covid-era food truck into a beloved local food brand.
What began with lockdown queues so long they drew attention from gardaí has since evolved into two thriving brick-and-mortar locations in their home turf of Mayfield and Carrigaline.
However, the entrepreneurial duo says this is just the beginning of its ambitious expansion, having already signed the lease for its third location.
Its latest project will see the brothers take over the landmark Fox & Hounds bar in Ballyvolane, located just a stone's throw away from Liam and Ciarn’s homeplace.
The Fox & Hounds, which straddles the current city/county divide, comprises almost 4,500sq ft and is just 3km from the city centre.
In 2017, it entered the market for €2.5m, having sold publicly in 2004 for €4m, featuring as one of the biggest Cork suburban bar sales of the period.
“We signed the lease knowing it offered a massive opportunity for us,” Liam told the , with the new location bringing the business's total staff count to 40 people.
Diversifying their brand, the Dacent Munch duo will rename the bar ‘Grá Mo Chroi’, which it hopes to reopen before the end of summer.
“We’re currently working on some fairly big renovations, but we’re aiming to be open for the August bank holiday weekend,” said Liam.
The older of the two brothers said it would operate exclusively as a pub in the beginning, with future plans to expand its offering to food and establish a third Dacent Munch spot.
The popular food brand was born in 2020 with the opening of a food van on the Old Youghal Road.
Its popularity saw the establishment of its first brick-and-mortar in late 2021, located in Mayfield Shopping Centre.
Continued success saw the business expand outside of its native northside, opening its second premises in Carrigaline at the end of 2024.
Located on the town’s Main Street, its Carrigaline restaurant boasts a wider offering, with a full bar licence, live music and sporting events.
Despite the business’s success, Liam says it has not been without its challenges.
“It’s been a learning curve. Thankfully, we’ve become quite good at taking advice, which was definitely needed in the early days. It’s been tough at times, but we learn as we go, and we’re looking forward to the future.
“The Carrigaline opening was a baptism of fire. There were good days and bad days, but things are going well, and we’re now looking towards our largest venture yet.”
Liam said rising costs continue to weigh on the business, with very few hospitality operators immune to recent shocks.
"It has not been an easy five years. Something ends and another thing begins. We opened the Mayfield unit just before Russia invaded Ukraine, so immediately we saw our energy costs skyrocket. When fuel prices rise, so does everything else.
"Margins are extremely tight and we've seen so many food businesses close through no fault of their own."
Yet, despite the challenging conditions restaurants are forced to operate in, Liam says he and his brother have not been dissuaded from their own ambitions.
"When we first told people we were opening a new premises, we were asked if we were mad. We look at it a different way. Times are tough but we are confident."
But its expansion doesn't stop there, he said.
"We ultimately want Dacent Munch to be its own franchise. Whether that's done exclusively through us, or we get other partners on board, remains to be decided.
"We've already looked at a few units in the city centre, where we imagine having a similar model as our Carrigaline unit, but we're also looking at other suburbs across Cork where would be looking to open a more takeaway style unit like our Mayfield spot."
"We have ambitious plans, but we're committed to seeing them through."
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