Dublin store seeks pub licence to aid shoppers’ partners

Spouses and partners of customers in one of Ireland’s leading stores will be able to quietly anaesthetise themselves in comfort in anticipation of the shopping bill, a judge was told today.

Circuit Court president Mr Justice Raymond Groarke was told this was part of the plan of Brown Thomas in Dublin’s Grafton Street in its application for a legal facility that will ensure it a full pub license when plans to refurbish its third-floor restaurant are completed.

Constance Cassidy SC, counsel for Brown Thomas, said the store had a wine license in its restaurant for the last 40 years and wished to improve matters for their customers and in particular for partners and spouses waiting around while shopping was completed.