Caffe Nero has irons in the fire at Ovens bar in Cork city

London-based coffee shop chain Caffe Nero is seeking to open at least two outlets in Cork City, three years after arriving in Dublin where it now has nine cafes.

It has just sought planning permission for a change of use to cafe at 110 Patrick Street, next to Easons, while a deal is also about to close on No 17 Oliver Plunkett Street, previously the long-established Ovens Bar, which is a large, double fronted premises of c 1,600 sq ft owned by a private investor landlord.

Preliminary works have commenced this week on No 17 Oliver Plunkett Street in anticipation of the closing of the deal with Caffe Nero.